Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe (R) on Tuesday authorized the state’s National Guard to perform tasks on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Soldiers will assist with “administrative, clerical, and logistical duties,” following a request from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to the Department of Defense, according to a news release from the governor’s office. 

“Public safety, keeping Missourians safe, and upholding the rule of law is our administration’s top priority,” Kehoe said in a Tuesday statement.

“The Missouri National Guard is uniquely equipped to provide this essential administrative support, and we are confident their contributions will be invaluable to immigration enforcement efforts. Missouri is proud to join in the Trump administration’s efforts to keep our state and nation secure,” he added.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in July changed the duty status of military personnel supporting ICE officials, which impacted National Guard members and allowed them to “seamlessly take over these vital mission roles to ensure continuity of support and operations.”

On Tuesday, Pentagon officials confirmed the Trump administration would send 100 troops to Illinois, a day after Gov. JB Pritzker (D) said ICE officials have been “harassing people for not being white” in popular tourist areas. 

President Trump has also ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to Memphis, Tenn., and Portland, Ore., in recent days. 

The moves have drawn outrage from Democratic leaders and Hispanic communities across the country. 

“The military’s role is to defend our nation, not patrol our neighborhoods. Families are already bracing for deep cuts to health care and food assistance, and now they are being forced to live in fear of military patrols in their own communities,” Janet Murguía, president and CEO of UnidosUS, the largest Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, said in a Monday statement.  

“Normalizing military involvement in immigration enforcement or routine law enforcement threatens the very foundation of our democracy and puts all of us at risk,” she added. 

UnidosUS last month held its annual conference in Kansas City, Mo., where they touted Latinos’ financial impact in the U.S. Latinos — the nation’s largest minority group — contributed more than $3.7 trillion in total economic output in 2022, according to research from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Eight out of 10 Latinos in the U.S. are American citizens, according to KCUR.