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Retired Lieutenant General Russel Honore weighs in on looming National Guard deployment to Louisiana
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Baton Rouge - Retired Lieutenant General Russel Honoré, whose mission during his Army service was to train and deploy the National Guard, spoke with WBRZ on Tuesday about what he expects if Gov. Jeff Landry's request for a National Guard deployment in three of Louisiana's biggest cities is granted.
"This is not normal, but our governor has asked for it," Honoré said. "The guard will be in the streets whenever it is approved by the president. It will be paid for by the government, so it will not be a burden on Louisiana taxpayers to pay for it," he said.
He explained the deployments by referencing how the National Guard was deployed after the New Year's Day terrorist attack in New Orleans.
"They will be working, I imagine, with local police and state police, and maybe out in the neighborhoods, trying to deter crimes," he said.
Honoré stressed that it is "imperative" that the Guard does not act independently, but that their presence does deter crime. He said he recognizes what Landry is trying to accomplish. "I think we all aspire to live in a crime-free community," he said.
He also had the thought that the National Guard could be joined by other federal agencies in an attempt to crack down on immigration.
"If a thousand National Guard are coming to Louisiana, we may have up to two thousand federal agents coming to Louisiana, and I am just speculating, and their mission is to focus on immigration detention and deportation," he said.
The governor's office did not immediately answer questions about whether it might use the National Guard to assist federal immigration officers, and it was still unclear on Tuesday night when or how many National Guard members would be sent to each city.
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