Maj. Gen. R. Dale Lyles, Indiana retiring adujant general. Provided image
The outgoing leader of the Indiana National Guard said Wednesday the state military force is prepared to assist in the mass deportation of illegal immigrants — as well as to successfully carry out any other mission it receives from the governor.
Major General R. Dale Lyles, the state's adjutant general, explained the Indiana National Guard primarily responds to orders issued by the governor. But he acknowledged the Guard may also be directed to act by the president following a national emergency declaration.
"The Indiana National Guard, first and foremost, reports to the governor," Lyles said. "But we also have a dual mission, a federal mission, and so the executive branch that we would potentially work for is something that we would just have to standby and see where that mission comes from."
No matter the task, however, Lyles said the Indiana National Guard's 14,000 soldiers, airmen and reservists "are well-manned and well-equipped and well-trained to execute missions that are given to us."
Republican President-elect Donald Trump confirmed this week he plans to declare a national emergency and use military resources — beginning Jan. 20, his first day in office — to return to their home countries millions of people who entered the United States in recent years without legal permission.
Northwest Indiana potentially could be significantly affected by the mass deportation process given the Region's abundance of transportation resources and its proximity to the large number of migrants bused to Chicago by the governor of Texas.
Republican Gov.-elect Mike Braun, who takes office Jan. 13, has not explicitly indicated whether he plans to direct the Indiana National Guard to assist Trump's mass deportations. Though Braun has been a Trump loyalist in the U.S. Senate and they each endorsed the other's campaign ahead of this year's elections.
At the same time, Republican Lt. Gov.-elect Micah Beckwith not only is eager to remove illegal immigrants from Indiana and the United States but also favors deporting migrants granted legal permission to temporarily reside in America due to chaos in their home countries.
"We want assimilation into the American way of life. And if you will not do that, then you do not belong here. And we are going to find you and we're going to remove you," Beckwith said last month.
Congressman Jim Banks, a Fort Wayne-area Republican who was elected to take Braun's Senate seat Jan. 3, has been even more explicit about his expectations for mass deportation: "The goal should be to deport every illegal in this country that we can find."
In any case, Lyles won't be leading the Indiana National Guard if that comes to pass. He announced Nov. 4 that he'll be stepping down in early January after five years as adjutant general and nearly 40 years of service to the Hoosier State to spend more time with his three young grandchildren.
"I missed a lot of opportunities with my family because of the Global War on Terrorism because I was deployed multiple times and I was deploying soldiers. You know, they're tugging on my leg when I'm leaving the house these days, and I think it's time to return some of that time back to them," Lyles said.
Lyles was seated alongside Republican Gov. Eric Holcomb as they spoke to Indiana reporters via videoconference from Kuwait, where they are promoting the Hoosier State as a destination for Middle East investors after finalizing a National Guard partnership agreement with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
"A lot of good things tend to happen when you show up. We've had such a warm welcome in both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. It kind of makes me wish I would have been here a few years ago," Holcomb said.
"For a state like Indiana that has such a good reputation in terms of advanced manufacturing, life science and (agricultural) biotech, we have a huge upside developing relationships in the business community just like we've established over a number of years from a national security perspective."
Holcomb and Lyles also are scheduled to share an early Thanksgiving lunch with some 700 Indiana National Guard members who deployed to Kuwait in September on what likely will be a year-long peacekeeping mission.
"I'm proud of our men and women that are serving so that we're not in harm's way back home," Holcomb said.
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