After receiving a lot of negative backlash about this, officials now say that no plans are imminent. But, at this point, it’s hard to believe much of anything that comes out of this White House.
The Posse Comitatus Act (PCA) prohibits the Guard from acting as civilian law enforcement unless they are “explicitly authorized.” So Governors would have to give the green light to this plan. The proposal wouldn’t nationalize the Guard, but instead keep them state-run.
After a lot of negative reactions to the AP report Friday morning, the White House made a statement claiming the story was false.
It’s hard to tell at this point whether or not the White House is being honest. But the signed memo itself is alarming. And considering how many times Trump talked about deportation task forces on the campaign trail, it’s not a stretch to believe he would try to use the National Guard for that purpose.
The problem is that Trump, Spicer, and many of the other members of this administration lie so much that it’s become difficult to believe much of anything from them. But one thing is clear. Extreme public backlash is stopping at least some of Trump’s radical proposals.