Gov. Kim Reynolds is engaging with the federal government in establishing an agreement that could have the Iowa National Guard assisting in President Donald Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
Speaking at a gathering in Cedar Rapids, Reynolds said U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem approached the governors of all 50 states asking for assistance.
“As we’ve seen, over 11 million illegal immigrants crossed into our country illegally during the Biden administration,” Reynolds said. “And they [the Department of Homeland Security] are focusing on getting, especially, those bad actors. So we have said that we would step up and help.”
Recent reporting from The Intercept and The New York Times demonstrated plans for the National Guard to aid in "alien processing,” or procedural work facilitating immigration-related detentions and deportations within certain states.
The guard is a reserve military unit controlled by both state and federal authorities.
“Logistics and processing is probably the way that we would look to help from a state perspective, but that’s subject to change,” Reynolds said. “I don’t know the numbers [of troops] at this point. I think they’re still seeing how many states are doing it and what that’ll look like.”
A memo obtained by The New York Times said other states whose National Guard reserves are being directed to aid in immigration processing efforts include Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Georgia and Florida — all states with Republican governors.
Reynolds said she is hesitant to put out numbers until an agreement is reached with the federal departments of Defense and Homeland Security. Right now, she's waiting to hear back from U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth before moving forward.
“We’ve done what we can do,” she said. “Our part is done.”
The number of troops and costs associated with the deployment are among the details waiting for a rubber stamp.
“We’re trying to decide if it’s Title 10 or Title 32, or what that falls under,” Reynolds said, referring to sections of the United States Code that govern different aspects of the guard’s operations. “They would — the federal government — would cover the cost on that. So there’s just a lot of things that have to be worked out before we have any specifics on start time and what that looks like moving forward.”
Although the military is generally prohibited from being used for law enforcement, state governments have in the past deployed National Guard troops for border patrol.
A statement from a chief Pentagon spokesman from late July detailed a switch in the duty statuses of military personnel involved in immigration enforcement efforts — from Title 10 to Title 32, rotating out the Marine Corps and Naval Reserve and deploying the National Guard instead.
From January to May of this year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) both arrested and deported more people in Iowa than it did in all of 2024, according to data from the Deportation Data Project.
Leaders at the eastern Iowa immigration rights nonprofit Escucha Mi Voz said Tuesday they had confirmed Reynolds' commitment to mobilizing the Iowa National Guard for immigration enforcement.
“Deploying the National Guard against our state’s hard working immigrant communities is morally indefensible and risks widespread violations of civil liberties and constitutional rights,” said Alejandra Escobar, an organizer with Escucha Mi Voz. “We will be closely monitoring this situation and are prepared to mobilize communities statewide against any action that threatens Iowa families.”
In a separate statement, the organization said the decision represents an unprecedented escalation in anti-immigration policy.
Escucha Mi Voz recently organized a community presence to accompany people to their annual check-ins at the Cedar Rapids ICE facility. During the show of support, with hundreds outside, at least three more people were detained. In early July, ICE officials deported 20-year-old Pascual Pedro before he had time to make his legal case.
