Pentagon again declines D.C. mayor's request for National Guard to help with migrant wave

The Pentagon again denied a request by Washington DC Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) to activate the National Guard to assist with the thousands of migrants pouring into her city from southern states – the second time this month.

Defense Department executive secretary Kelly Bulliner Holly informed Bowser in a letter on Monday that local troops did not have the proper training for the task requested.

"The DCNG has no specific experience in or training for this kind of mission or unique skills for providing facility management, feeding, sanitation or ground support," Holly wrote in the letter, which has been reported by Fox News and other outlets.

"Approval of this request would also result in a substantial readiness impact to the DCNG," Holly continued, reaffirming a similar point about readiness in the last rejection.

"Devoting the personnel or the facility for such an extended mission would force the cancellation or disruption of military training."

Holly also denied use of the D.C. Armory to manage the newcomers, citing its lack of air conditioning.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey, both Republicans, began sending those arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border to Washington D.C.’s Union Station in April after months of inaction from the Biden administration.

The Democratic mayor first requested the help of 150 National Guard members on July 22 to help manage “a humanitarian crisis that we expect to escalate.”

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin rejected the request on Aug. 4, saying in a statement that the Defense Department had “have determined providing this support would negatively impact the readiness of the DCNG and have negative effects on the organization and members.”

A key reason cited by Austin was that the National Guard’s work in the capital, if approved, would continue “indefinitely,” according to Bowser’s first request.

Bowser, who had submitted her second request on Aug. 11, said on Twitter on Monday the city would “continue working with federal partners and local NGOs on the best way to set up systems that allow us to manage an ongoing humanitarian crisis.”