Governor Bill Lee is reportedly mobilizing Tennessee National Guard troops to assist the federal government in carrying out deportations of illegal aliens.
A spokesperson for Lee’s office told The Tennessee Lookout that the deployment comes in response to a request from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“Tennessee stands ready to support President Trump’s efforts to secure our nation’s borders and remove the most violent criminals from our streets,” the governor’s office said in a statement to the outlet.
National Guard troops who are deployed to assist in such operations will perform administrative and clerical tasks at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) processing facilities across the Volunteer State, such as data entry, case management, and logistical support, the Lookout noted.
Tennessee is reportedly one of 20 states whose governors have agreed to assist ICE with “alien processing,” along with Florida, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, and Louisiana, according to a U.S. Defense Department (DOD) official who spoke with The New York Times.
Earlier this year, before President Donald Trump took office, Lee confirmed at the time that, if requested, he would activate the Tennessee National Guard to assist the Trump administration with the mass deportation of illegal aliens.
Before that, Lee was also among 26 Republican governors who signed a letter confirming they supported Trump’s immigration agenda, including the mass deportation of illegal aliens.
Last month, DOD announced a change in the duty status of military personnel supporting ICE with immigration law enforcement, shifting service members involved from Title 10 to Title 32 status.
Title 32 status, which allows National Guard troops to operate under state control while being federally funded, grants the legal authority needed to support ICE.
The transition, DOD said, impacts 1,200 troops already assigned to the mission and includes an additional 500 newly authorized personnel, increasing the total number of troops supporting ICE to around 1,700.
DOD said that by providing military support in administrative and clerical roles, ICE agents will be able to concentrate more on law enforcement duties.
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Kaitlin Housler is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow Kaitlin on X / Twitter.
Photo “Bill Lee and Tennessee National Guard” by Bill Lee.
Mr Lee should have already had the guard in East Tennessee where they still need lots of help. Only time a politician sees Johnson County is when they are asking for votes. I just talked to a friend there who has no septic system, and I would guess that’s a minor problem.
Chemtrails are real. Have the Tn NG monitor our skies too. (which is still going on here)