U.S. Homeland Security seeks 20,000 National Guard troops for immigration crackdown: report

NEW YORK, May 15 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has requested more than 20,000 National Guard members to help with the Trump administration's immigration crackdown, reported The New York Times on Thursday.

"The request to the Defense Department came after President Trump asked the Department of Homeland Security last week to increase its ranks by pulling in 20,000 officers from state or federal agencies," noted the report.

Lawyers at the Pentagon were reviewing the request with interior immigration enforcement. It was unclear what role state National Guard members would play and whether they would be involved in rounding up people for deportation. "It was not immediately clear if the states would also have to approve the plan," it said.

National Guard troops have generally played a supporting role to domestic authorities in enforcing immigration issues at the border, including logistics, security and other assistance. "If the request were approved, it would be the first time National Guard troops were used to help enforce an immigration crackdown in the United States," it added.