The Georgia National Guard will deploy 75 of its soldiers and airmen across the state this fall to support the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, state officials said Monday.
The Guard troops will provide “administrative and logistic support,” such as scheduling appointments, collecting biometric information and handling vehicle maintenance. They will not be involved in arresting people or other law enforcement duties, and they will not be armed, according to the Guard.
The troops are scheduled to begin training in mid-September and “should be on duty shortly thereafter,” though the timeline may shift as plans are finalized.
“Supporting these types of tasks would enable more U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to be in the field focusing on their core law enforcement activities,” the Georgia Guard said in a statement.
Georgia is among 20 states with Republican governors participating in the initiative, including in neighboring Alabama, Florida, South Carolina and Tennessee, according to the National Guard Bureau. Troops will remain under the command of their governors, while ICE and state officials determine assignments.
“Participating states and ICE will coordinate on where Guard members will perform duty, how many Guard members will be needed at each location and what duties they will perform,” the bureau said Monday.
White House officials emphasized these plans are separate from the Trump administration’s recent deployment of National Guard troops to Washington as part of a federal takeover of the city’s police force. Georgia officials say there are no immediate plans to participate in that effort.
President Donald Trump, meanwhile, is threatening to deploy National Guard troops for crime-fighting efforts in more Democratic-led cities and states. He has not mentioned Atlanta among those cities.
ICE referred questions to the Pentagon, which pointed to a July 25 statement saying federal immigration authorities had asked for assistance with “case management, transportation and logistical support, and clerical support for the in- and out-processing of illegal aliens at ICE detention facilities.”
“By providing these crucial services, DoD military personnel directly enable ICE to dedicate more trained agents to core law enforcement activities, significantly enhancing overall effectiveness,” Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell said.
This is not the first time Georgia Guard troops have helped with federal immigration enforcement. In February 2024, for example, Gov. Brian Kemp directed additional Georgia Guard troops to the southwest U.S. border amid a pitched confrontation with then-President Joe Biden over immigration policies. He also deployed troops to the U.S. border with Mexico in 2021.
In a statement on Monday, Kemp said he was proud to back Trump’s “ongoing efforts to secure our nation’s border and keep Americans safe.”
“With the longest continuous presence at the border of any National Guard, Georgia has led on this front for years and will continue to do so through this latest measure while still meeting all responsibilities and duties the Guard has to the state.”
The Trump administration’s plans drew a mix of praise and scorn in Georgia. Georgia Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte, one of the state’s highest elected Latino officials, endorsed Kemp’s move and said his colleagues “remain committed to supporting President Trump’s efforts to secure our borders and keep communities safe.”
Democratic state Rep. Derrick Jackson of Tyrone, a military veteran who is running for governor, called using the military for civilian law enforcement “a dangerous and unconstitutional overreach.”
“The bottom line, the brave men and women in uniform did not take an oath to intimidate our citizens in the United States or wear the uniform to exercise might with the threat of military force,” said Jackson, a retired Navy lieutenant commander.
Trump recently floated the idea of using his crackdown on crime in Washington as a template for other cities, including Chicago.
“We haven’t had to bring in the regular military, which we’re willing to do if we have to,” Trump told reporters at the White House Friday. “After we do this, we’ll go to another location, and we’ll make it safe.”
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson responded that he had “grave concerns about the impact of any unlawful deployment of National Guard troops to the city of Chicago.”
“Unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago,” Johnson said, “has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust between police and residents is foundational to building safer communities.”
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