Gov. Sanders approves National Guard to support ICE

Gov. Sarah Sanders on Tuesday (Sept. 9) announced she is authorizing up to 40 Arkansas National Guard members to support federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Fayetteville, Fort Smith and Little Rock.

According to a statement from the governor’s office, the contingent will be 27 Air National Guard and 13 Army National Guard members. Of the group, 10 will be assigned to Fayetteville, 10 to Fort Smith and 18 to Little Rock, with two members at Camp Robinson in North Little Rock “for command and control support.”

Sanders said the deployment “will be fully funded by the federal government.” A spokesman for Sanders said the deployment orders will run through Nov. 15.

“Violent, criminal illegal immigrants have no place in Arkansas,” Sanders said. “I signed the Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act to hold these criminals accountable and slap enhanced penalties on illegal immigrants who commit additional crimes while in our state, and I look forward to our guardsmen working with the Trump administration to enforce federal immigration law.”

On May 9, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a formal Request for Assistance to the Department of Defense (DOD) for the support of National Guard personnel in carrying out ICE interior immigration enforcement activities. On July 25, DOD approved, contingent on governors’ approval within each state.

The Guard member will not be armed, and their roles will include providing support for detainee transport, operating or riding in a vehicle with an ICE agent who has custody of detained individuals, help process detained individuals, and perform clerical tasks.

“The Arkansas National Guard stands ready to support this mission by providing requested administrative and logistical assistance to the Department of Homeland Security,” said Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges, Arkansas’ adjutant general. “Our Guardsmen are highly trained and committed to enabling federal agents to focus on their core operations.”

The governor’s office said legal authorization comes from a July 25 approval by the U.S. Department of Defense making National Guard members, with a governor’s consent, available to support Department of Homeland Security immigration enforcement actions.

The Arkansas Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arkansas has asked state residents to oppose military deployment in support of immigration enforcement.

“This is an abuse of power that jeopardizes Arkansans’ rights and safety,” Holly Dickson, executive director of the ACLU of Arkansas, said in a statement. “Governor Sanders is using our state’s servicemembers to advance a fear and race based political agenda at the expense of civil liberties, Arkansas families, and our most fundamental constitutional principles. The National Guard’s role at home is to protect Arkansans — not to target us in our communities.”