Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Tuesday that she will activate 40 members of the Arkansas National Guard to assist the Department of Homeland Security in detention and deportation operations, saying the troops will operate under federal Title 32 authority and remain under state control while receiving federal funding.
Sanders said the guardsmen, based in Fort Smith, Little Rock and Fayetteville, will provide logistical support, transportation and clerical assistance to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and will remain unarmed. Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges, the adjutant general of the Arkansas National Guard, said the service members are ready to assist while focusing on their core operations.
"Violent, criminal illegal immigrants have no place in Arkansas," Sanders said in a statement. She noted she signed the state's Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act, which increases penalties for noncitizens who commit crimes in Arkansas, and said the deployment is meant to help enforce federal immigration law. Sanders, who served as White House press secretary during the Trump administration, praised President Donald Trump's border-security efforts and said Arkansas will "stand with him every step of the way."
State officials said the activated guardsmen will not take part in the direct arrest of suspects but will free up federal agents to concentrate on front-line enforcement by assuming support tasks related to transportation and paperwork. Bridges said the National Guard's role will be to assist DHS without detracting from its state missions.
Sanders' announcement follows other actions by her administration aimed at tightening immigration enforcement in Arkansas. The governor has expanded a ban on sanctuary municipalities to include unincorporated areas, and the recently enacted Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act imposes enhanced penalties for noncitizens who commit additional crimes while in the state.
Her office also circulated summaries of recent arrests of noncitizens in Arkansas, including allegations that an individual struck a state trooper during an arrest and that another was wanted by El Salvador on accusations of gang activity. State officials said one crash that killed a Little Rock nurse involved a driver who was in the country illegally; authorities have described the incident as a fatal DUI case under state investigation.
Activations under Title 32 allow governors to keep command of National Guard forces while receiving federal reimbursement, a framework used in prior instances when states supported federal immigration missions or border operations. Sanders framed the action as part of a broader effort to target individuals she described as violent or criminal rather than broader immigration enforcement.
The governor's move is likely to draw scrutiny from immigration advocates and some local officials who have opposed expanded cooperation between state law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Sanders has previously traveled to the U.S.-Mexico border to call for stronger federal action on migration, and her announcement aligns with a national Republican emphasis on stricter immigration enforcement.
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE did not immediately provide comment on the specifics of the planned activities or the timing of any joint operations. State officials said details of how the guardsmen will be integrated with federal operations were being finalized and that the activation is intended to be limited in scope and duration.
The Arkansas National Guard has been used for a variety of domestic missions in recent years, and its leaders said the unit will balance the new assignment with ongoing state responsibilities. Sanders said the deployment reflects a commitment to public safety in Arkansas and to working with federal partners to address what she described as criminal immigration activity within the state.