DHS wants National Guard to search for and transport unaccompanied migrant children

The Department of Homeland Security is requesting that National Guard troops search for unaccompanied children in some cases and transport them between states.

A Department of Homeland Security request for 21,000 National Guard troops to support "expansive interior immigration enforcement operations" includes a call for troops to search for unaccompanied children in some cases and transport them between states, three sources briefed on the plan tell NBC News.

Having National Guard troops perform such tasks, which are not explained in detail in the DHS request, has prompted concern among Democrats in Congress and some military and law enforcement officials.

The tasks are laid out in a May 9th Request for Assistance from the Department of Homeland Security to the Pentagon. The document states that, “this represents the first formal request by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for the deployment of National Guard personnel in support of interior immigration enforcement operations.”

The request calls for National Guard troops to be used for “Search and Rescue for UACs [Unaccompanied Alien Children] in remote or hostile terrain,” and “Intra- and inter-state transport of detainees/ unaccompanied alien children (UACs)," without clearly explaining what that would entail.

Most of the troops, about 10,000, would be used for transporting detained individuals, the DHS said. Roughly 2,500 troops would be used for detention support but the document does not specify where. Another 1,000 troops would be assigned to administrative support, such as processing detainees.