Iowa National Guard Assists ICE Immigration Enforcement September-November

Governor Kim Reynolds has ordered the deployment of 20 Iowa National Guard soldiers to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials starting September 8, following a request from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The National Guard will provide administrative and logistical support to Iowa-based ICE agents, freeing them to focus on enforcement activities outside the office. This mission, authorized by the Secretary of Defense, will run through November 15 under Title 32 status, keeping the troops under state control but federally funded. Governor Reynolds emphasized that this action continues Iowa's support for immigration enforcement under the Trump Administration, similar to previous assistance provided to Texas. However, this decision has faced criticism from local groups who argue that deploying the National Guard against immigrant communities is morally indefensible and risks civil liberties violations. The Iowa National Guard has not yet received deployment orders but is preparing for the mission, which is expected to keep troops primarily within Iowa.