Gov. Lee among Republican governors ‘ready to utilize every tool’ in Trump’s mass deportation plan
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Gov. Bill Lee has joined a group of 26 Republican governors willing to use any and every tool necessary to help President-elect Donald Trump with his plan to deport illegal immigrants, including the National Guard.
In a joint statement issued Dec. 11, the Republican Governors Association wrote, “We stand united in support of President Donald Trump’s unwavering commitment to make America safe again by addressing the illegal immigration crisis and deporting illegal immigrants who pose a threat to our communities and national security,” the statement said.
“We stand ready to utilize every tool at our disposal—whether through state law enforcement or the National Guard—to support President Trump in this vital mission,” the statement from the Republican Governors Association continued.
Two days before, journalists asked Gov. Lee if he would use the National Guard to help carry out President-elect Trump’s plan for mass deportations. Lee didn’t directly answer yes or no, but he made it clear he agrees with and supports the incoming president’s policies.
“President Trump was elected based on the ideas he put forth, and the people clearly believed his ideas were good ones and therefore gave him a very strong message, primarily by electing him,” Gov. Lee responded. “I agree with his policies, but most importantly I agree that he should, because he has been elected, he should follow through with what he promised he would do for the American people. To the degree that Tennessee participates in that, I look forward to seeing what his plans finally are going to be, and we will be supportive of his strategies of the president.”
According to the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), illegal immigration cost Tennessee close to $1 billion last year in education, healthcare, law enforcement, corrections, and other costs.
While the details of President-elect Trump’s mass deportation plan are still unclear, Ira Mehlman, the media director at FAIR, told News 2 the National Guard and state police could fill support roles during the deportation process to free up resources for the Department of Homeland Security.
“That means perhaps supervising people who have been arrested and are awaiting deportation,” Mehlman said. “There are all sorts of other needs that the Department of Homeland Security can designate to these local law enforcement that would assist them in doing the job the American people want them to do.”
However, the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition (TIRRC) “unequivocally condemns” using the National Guard for mass deportations. Luis Mata, communications coordinator for TIRRC told News 2 not only would it negatively impact families, but also the state.
“Mass deportations is not just a moral disaster, but it’s an economic one,” Mata said. “The state resources we are wasting on mass deportations and would potentially waste on mass deportations could instead go toward giving our communities, all Tennesseans the resources to truly thrive, like access to affordable housing, quality healthcare, quality education for all Tennessee working families.”
Gov. Lee has previously activated the National Guard to mitigate illegal immigration. In 2021, he deployed 300 guardsmen to the Southern border, then sent additional waves of guardsmen in 2023 and most recently in March 2024.
