Slate Daily Feed What Next - The National Guard Is Asking Questions
Nov 17, 2025
Kat Lonsdorf, a news reporter at NPR, sheds light on the complexities faced by National Guard members during domestic deployments. She discusses their discomfort over vague missions, the reluctance to speak publicly due to community backlash, and the blurred lines between military and local law enforcement. Kat also explores the legal implications of these activations, the impact on Guard resources, and the considerations surrounding potential political ramifications as these tactics could affect future elections.
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Law Limits Guard Role In Policing
- Under U.S. law, the military and National Guard broadly cannot perform domestic law enforcement.
- That legal boundary complicates measuring the deployments' effect on crime or deportations.
Deployments Spread With Mixed Justifications
- Deployments began in June with Los Angeles and expanded to D.C., Memphis, Portland, and Chicago.
- The administration often conflates violent crime and immigration to justify troop use.
Plans To Use Guard For Immigration Resurface
- Stephen Miller and others planned for the Guard to assist immigration enforcement in past years.
- The administration has revived those ideas despite legal barriers.