WH: No use of Guard for immigration work

OREGON NATIONAL Guard soldiers on a training exercise (ONG photo).

A report that the National Guard of up to 11 states could be used to round up illegal aliens has been denied by The White House. The Associated Press on Friday reported it had obtained a copy of a Department of Homeland Security memo discussing possible employment of up to 100,000 Guard troops from California, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana for immigration enforcement.

The memo bore the name of John Kelly, Secretary of Homeland Security. According to the document, governors would have the right to not allow their state’s troops to participate.

White House spokesman Sean Spicer said “There is no effort to do what is potentially suggested” and “no effort at all to utilize the National Guard to round up unauthorized immigrants.”