Lankford says Guard deployment should be short-term solution only

Lankford says Guard deployment should be short-term solution only

By Leah Smith,  Gaylord News Washington  Bureau and Hannah Bryant, Gaylord News Statehouse Bureau

WASHINGTON – Oklahoma Sen. James Lankford says he is not opposed to the deployment of National Guard troops as a short-term solution to cities struggling with high crime rates.

“On the streets here in Washington D.C., it became just a presence,” Lankford said. “I’ve talked to several people that said it was very reassuring just to be able to see folks on the street and go ‘OK, you’re there.’ So, we’re grateful to have the help.”

But the troops are not law enforcement officers, Lankford said.

“Short-term to help local police is not uncommon,” Lankford said. “But it is short term, they’re not local law enforcement. You need local law enforcement to take the lead.”

Since June, National Guard troops from 10 states have been mobilized to patrol such cities as Los Angeles, Portland, Chicago, Memphis and Washington, D.C. 

President Trump ordered in June the deployment of California’s National Guard to Los Angeles without the request of Gov. Gavin Newsom, the first such instance since 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent federal troops to Alabama to protect Civil Rights marchers despite the objection of Gov. George Wallace. Trump also deployed troops against the wishes of the governors of Illinois and Oregon. 

“This isn’t about public safety, it’s about power,” Newsom said. “The commander-in-chief is using the U.S. military as a political weapon against American citizens.”

Rep. Andy Fugate, a Democrat and member of the Oklahoma House representing the 94th District, said troops deployed to cities “Behave like a lawless criminal entity, hiding behind masks, failing to identify themselves in any meaningful way. They’re pulling people off the street for doing something as constitutionally protected as recording them. This is all horrifying.”

Matt Dukes is mayor of Midwest City, home to Tinker Air Force Base. He served five years in the U.S. Coast Guard and 25 years in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. He says the deployment of the Guard by the president isn’t necessarily a surprising use of the military.

“The National Guard is unique in the fact that … they’ve got two missions,” Dukes said. 

“They’ve got a federal mission, which of course, during federal call-up, they are subject to the commander-in-chief, or the president of the United States, but they also have state missions, in which the governor can call the National Guard and deploy them when needed,” Dukes said.

A notable use of the Oklahoma National Guard was the deployment in July 1973 to the state penitentiary riots in McAlester. Riots and natural disasters have been the most common reasons for deployment to another state, up until this year.

“The National Guard is funded, trained and equipped as a ready reserve for not only the state of Oklahoma, but also for the United States … that’s just part of our mission,” Dukes said. “If the president decides to send the Oklahoma National Guard to Memphis, let’s say, or Los Angeles, they’re obligated to do it.” 

Protests have taken place in Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, where ICE has carried out mass deportations, and Trump said he sent the National Guard to those cities due to the protests.

Oklahoma’s troops have not been deployed, though in August, Gov. Kevin Stitt said he would send them if the president requested. 

“If the president calls on us and needs us to do something, we certainly would,” Stitt told KOCO 5 News. “I applaud the president for really focusing on public safety.”

But Stitt appeared to pivot after Guard troops were sent to Illinois.

Illinois Gov. J.B Pritzker urged Stitt, who chairs the bipartisan National Governors Association, to denounce the deployment to Illinois, calling it on Oct. 6 an “illegal abuse of federal power.”

Three days later, Stitt shifted from his August comments, criticizing the deployments in an interview with the New York Times.

“Oklahomans would lose their mind if Pritzker in Illinois sent troops down to Oklahoma during the Biden administration,” Stitt said,citing his belief in states rights as the reason for not supporting the move.

     After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott authorized the calling up of 400 Texas National Guard troops, many argued that Texas would be invading Oregon against American citizens. They pointed out that peaceful protests are constitutionally protected, and the citizens were exercising their First Amendment rights. 

Using the National Guard to police a city can lead to distrust within the community, sending the message that local law enforcement is not “good enough” to protect them, Fugate said.

The Oklahoma National Guard’s office declined to comment, stating that because they have not been tasked with a deployment, “it would be speculation to speak on a hypothetical situation,” a public affairs representative said.

On Nov. 20, federal District Judge Jia Cobb ruled that Trump illegally deployed the Guard to Washington, D.C., “in the absence of a request from the city’s civil authorities.”

Cobb delayed her order that would require the National Guard to leave Washington and gave the Trump administration 21 days to file an appeal.

Trump has referred to the cities where he deployed the Guard as “war-ravaged,” a “disaster,” and “troubled.” But according to the Council of State Government’s Justice Center, Oklahoma has more violent crime per capita than Illinois or Oregon. 

In 2024, Oklahoma had a rate of 423 violent crimes per 100,000 people. Illinois had a rate of 289 and Oregon’s rate per capita was 331. Some think Trump is targeting Democratic cities and states to provoke fear and unrest. 

“I think the president is looking for that compelling event and try to force it to happen,” Fugate said. “That’s what he’s looking for, and he wants to do it in a state where he can completely 100% blame Democrats.”

ICE crackdowns and deportations have been protested across the state in Oklahoma.

“The unfortunate fact is the law isn’t clear,” said Rick Tepker, a retired professor who taught constitutional law at the University of Oklahoma. 

“There are many precedents of courts intervening to stop presidents from taking military action, either in foreign situations or domestic situations,” Tepker said. “There are cases that are detailed, ambiguous, uncertain, going back to 1807, but essentially, they usually require a request from a governor.” 

Tepker said he thinks there are limitations on what Guard troops can do.

“They can defend federal property. They can defend federal personnel, so they can try to protect ICE from attacks.” 

Even as Guardsmen patrol the streets and protect ICE agents during protests, their deployments to other states suggest a new era of presidential actions amid an uncertain legal backdrop. 

“The problem is, we do want our presidents to be strong,” Tepker said. “The problem is also, when they’re strong, they can do harm and create injury, including to hardworking Americans who are just trying to take care of their families.”

Protesting actions by the current administration is not against the law, and some even encourage it. 

“As we take to the streets and protest, I think it is imperative that we do it in ways that respect and uphold the law,” Fugate said. “The last thing we need is to create a conflagration out of the experiences that are going to happen. We can stand up. We can challenge. We can protest… It is absolutely time for people to stand up, speak up, and not be silent.” 

Gaylord News is a reporting project of the University of Oklahoma Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication. For more stories by Gaylord News go to gaylordnews.net .

Photo Caption: Peaceful protest in Chicago. PHOTO: Julian Cordero, pexels.com