Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced Tuesday that the state will deploy members of the Arkansas National Guard to assist federal authorities with immigration enforcement operations, as reported by Fox News.
The move aligns Arkansas directly with President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to strengthen federal immigration enforcement and address violent crime tied to illegal immigration.
Sanders told Fox News Digital that the Guard deployment will support the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in logistical and transportation roles related to the deportation process.
The mission will operate under federal Title 32 authority, which allows guardsmen to remain under state command while being federally funded.
“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.”
The plan will see 40 guardsmen activated from Fort Smith, Little Rock, and Fayetteville.
They will assist in moving detainees, providing logistical support, and handling administrative duties connected to detainment and deportation. Sanders emphasized that the guardsmen will be unarmed during the operation.
Arkansas National Guard Brig. Gen. Chad Bridges confirmed his units are prepared, stating that the Guard will “focus on their core operations” while supporting federal agents.
By handling transportation and clerical work, Guardsmen will free DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel to concentrate on front-line enforcement operations.
Sanders praised President Trump’s border security initiatives and broader public safety push, saying Arkansas “stands with him every step of the way.”
She also noted that Trump’s actions to “clean up the streets” have faced resistance from Democratic municipal leaders, but continue to address crime and immigration concerns nationwide.
The governor recently signed the state’s Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act, which enhances penalties for illegal aliens who commit crimes in Arkansas. She also expanded Arkansas’s ban on sanctuary cities to cover additional rural areas not directly governed by municipalities.
Sanders’ office highlighted several recent cases involving violent illegal immigrants in the state. In January, Arkansas State Police arrested Luis Danielle Valdez-Reyes for allegedly assaulting a trooper and Elias Avila-Bustillo, who was wanted in El Salvador for gang-related activity.
Another case involved Maynor Yair Sorto-Herrera, accused in a fatal DUI crash that killed Little Rock nurse Jennifer Ann Morton.
Sanders has been a vocal critic of the Biden administration’s handling of the border, even traveling to the southern border alongside other governors to highlight what she described as a lack of federal attention.
