LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas National Guard will now assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement with immigration enforcement, according to Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders.
Sanders made the announcement Tuesday morning after the Arkansas National Guard requested approval in August to make arrests for ICE. Other law enforcement officials, including the Arkansas State Police and county sheriffs have requested authority under the 287(g) program to arrest immigrants.
That program allows state and local police to conduct certain functions for immigration enforcement which includes jailing or arresting “criminal aliens and immigration violators.”
In a statement, Sanders said that “violent, criminal illegal immigrants have no place” in Arkansas.
“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,” Sanders said, “and I look forward to our guardsmen working with the Trump Administration to enforce federal immigration law. President Trump has secured our border and is cleaning up our streets, and Arkansas stands with him every step of the way.”
The Arkansas National Guard “stands ready” to support ICE by “providing requested administrative and logistical assistance,” according to Brigadier General Chad Bridges
In total, Arkansas officials will provide up 40 people for “command and control support” across the state. That list includes 27 Air National Guard Airmen and 13 Army National Guard Solders. Of those 40 guardsmen, 18 will be in Little Rock, 10 in Fort Smith, 10 in Fayetteville, and two at Camp Robinson.
A press release from Gov. Sanders said the guardsmen will not be armed and will assist with detainee transportation with an ICE agent. “They will also help process detained individuals and perform clerical tasks to facilitate illegal immigrant detainment.”
This comes as the Trump administration has vastly increased efforts to deport millions of immigrants in the country. While the administration claims the focus is on getting out “dangerous criminals,” government data from July shows that most people detained by ICE do not have criminal convictions.
Below are the agencies currently approved to conduct immigration enforcement in Arkansas:
- Arkansas State Police Department – Task force model
- Baxter County Sheriff’s Office – Warrant service officer & task force model
- Benton County Sheriff’s Office – Jail enforcement model
- Craighead County Sheriff’s Office – Jail enforcement model
- Crawford County Sheriff’s Office – Warrant service officer
- Hampton Police Department – Task force model
- Johnson County Sheriff’s Office – Warrant service officer
- Lafayette County Sheriff’s Office – Warrant service officer & task force model
- Little River County Sheriff’s Office – Warrant service officer & jail enforcement model
- Miller County Sheriff’s Office – Task force model
- Saline County Sheriff’s Office – Warrant service officer
- Sebastian County Sheriff’s Office – Warrant service officer
- Texarkana Police Department – Task force model
- Washington County Sheriff’s Office – Warrant service officer
We will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
