Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo’s office issued a press release on August 15th, announcing the deployment of a “small squad” from the Nevada National Guard to support the work of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the United States.
The press release stated, “Governor Joe Lombardo of Nevada has authorized the deployment of a small squad from the Nevada National Guard in response to a federal assistance request from the Department of Homeland Security. In May, the Department of Homeland Security actively requested support from the Department of Defense for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).”
State National Guards are reserve forces of the U.S. Army and Air Force, subordinate to the federal Department of Defense and also under the command of the governor to address state emergencies and natural disasters.
As of July, the Department of Defense had sent assistance requests to National Guards in 20 states, including Nevada, according to the press release.
The Governor’s office explained that the Department of Homeland Security requested the deployment of up to 35 soldiers, which is only a tiny fraction of the approximately 4,500 uniformed personnel in the Nevada National Guard, less than 1%. Each National Guard member volunteered to participate, demonstrating their readiness to serve at any time.
The support mission will involve administrative, logistical, and clerical tasks, with no direct contact with detainees, no law enforcement duties, and no involvement in the use of weapons.
The support mission will continue until November 15th of this year.
Governor Lombardo stated that assigning these guards to perform these important administrative duties will optimize federal resources within the state, helping to ensure the safety of communities and small businesses.
The tasks they will carry out are similar to those they performed during the COVID-19 pandemic, falling under Title 32 of the U.S. Code, but are completely different from the Title 10 mission that the National Guard carried out in Los Angeles in July. Governor Lombardo and Brig. Gen. Waters will have full control over the Nevada National Guard during this mission.
Currently, Nevada is initiating expanded cooperation with ICE.
On May 13th, ICE released a statement stating that the agency “arrested 52 undocumented immigrants in a four-day operation from May 5th to May 8th to enhance public safety in northern Nevada.” Among the 52 arrestees, the statement listed the names and criminal convictions of four individuals, including 2 arrests in Carson City.
The Carson City Sheriff’s Office confirmed that ICE personnel conducted an arrest in northern Carson City on July 24th, although the CCSO did not directly participate, and ICE representatives did not confirm, deny, or provide specific details about the arrest or the identity of the suspects.
A Republican, Lombardo is the son of a retired U.S. Air Force veteran, born in Japan in 1962. He served in the U.S. Army and was the 17th Sheriff of Clark County from 2015 to 2023 before becoming the 31st Governor of Nevada in 2023. He will seek re-election in 2026.
(Reference: Nevada Appeal)