The White House has denied a new report that claims US President Donald Trump may mobilize 100,000 National Guard troops to round up infiltrators in 11 states where nearly half of the 11.1 million infiltrators live.
The 11-page memo written by Department of Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly would give state governors final say over whether to allow troops to participate.
However, White House Spokesman Sean Spicer said the report was "false" immediately after The Associated Press published the story.
"That is 100 percent not true. It is false. It is irresponsible to be saying this. There is no effort at all to round up, to utilize the National Guard to round up illegal immigrants," he said. "I wish you guys had asked before you tweeted."
"I don’t know what could potentially be out there, but I know that there is no effort to do what is potentially suggested. It is not a White House document."
An AP reporter said the wire service had asked multiple times before publishing the news but got no response.
Department of Homeland Security acting press secretary also denied the report, saying, "The Department is not considering mobilizing the National Guard."
White House National Guard personnel have been used previously to assist with immigration-related issues on the US-Mexico border. However, they have never been used in such a large-scale mission.
The draft memo says participating troops would be authorized "to perform the functions of an immigration officer in relation to the investigation, apprehension, and detention of aliens in the United States."
If the memo is implemented, those with existing deportation orders would immediately be sent back to their home countries. However, those without deportation orders would not be deported until they received them.
Spokesmen for the governors of Arizona, Utah, Nevada, California, Colorado, Oklahoma, Oregon and New Mexico said they were unaware of the proposal, and either declined to comment or said it was premature to discuss whether they would participate. Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas did not immediately respond to the AP.
Former US President Barack Obama increased the deportation of infiltrators, though he was harshly criticized by Republicans for allowing those infiltrators who were brought to the US as children to stay.
If the memo is authentic, Trump would not be setting a precedent by deporting the infiltrators.
In 2006, George W. Bush twice deployed guard troops on the US-Mexico border to focus on non-law enforcement duties to help augment the Border Patrol. And in 2010, then-Arizona governor Jan Brewer announced a border security plan that included guard reconnaissance, aerial patrolling, and military exercises.
Former Texas Governor Rick Perry in 2014 ordered 1,000 national guard troops to the border when the surge of migrant children fleeing violence in Central America overwhelmed US officials responsible for their care.