Democrat Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has approved sending her state's Army National Guard soldiers to the southern border.
The Michigan Army National Guard verified the deployment on Thursday.
The order stands in sharp contrast to Whitmer's past criticism of federal immigration enforcement and the use of National Guard troops under Republican President Donald Trump.
While running for governor in 2018, Whitmer appeared to indicate in a short video clip that Immigration and Customs Enforcement should be abolished.
During that campaign, she aligned herself with national Democrats who accused ICE of abusing its authority and targeting immigrants unfairly.
As recently as June, Whitmer joined several Democratic governors in condemning Trump's deployment of the California National Guard to assist immigration operations, calling the action "an alarming abuse of power."
The group stated that governors, not Washington, are the commanders in chief of their state Guards and that the federal government had no right to activate them without consent.
Yet Whitmer quietly authorized Michigan's 1430th Engineer Company to deploy to the southern border.
The 120-member unit based in Traverse City, will serve up to a year under U.S. Northern Command and Joint Task Force North, providing support to Customs and Border Protection.
The deployment adds Michigan to a growing list of states contributing troops to what the Trump administration describes as the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.
It follows earlier Michigan Guard missions authorized by Whitmer in 2020 during Trump's first term in office, and then in 2021, 2022, and 2024, all under Title 10 authority.
Democrat Govs. Gavin Newsom of California and JB Pritzker of Illinois have defied or sued the administration over National Guard deployments.
Both have argued that using state Guards for immigration enforcement oversteps federal power.
Whitmer's action, after years of opposing that approach, sets her apart within her party and highlights a notable political shift.
Jim Mishler ✉
Jim Mishler, a seasoned reporter, anchor and news director, has decades of experience covering crime, politics and environmental issues.
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