This story was originally published on MyNorthwest.com
Washington’s top National Guard commander is caught between two bosses.
Maj. Gen. Gent Welsh answers to both President Donald Trump and Washington Governor Bob Ferguson.
Trump wants National Guard troops in Portland — and possibly Seattle — over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protests. However, Ferguson is against that idea and vows to fight it.
Welsh told The Seattle Times that if Trump orders his troops to deploy, he must comply. But he emphasized that he is not pushing for a federal deployment.
“I am not leaning into any of that stuff,” he told the media outlet. “I have plenty of other work to do right now, plenty of other work to get ready for a million other things. It is what it is, until the phone rings.”
Welsh noted the National Guard’s track record of public service, from helping clean up after blizzards to battling wildfires, even as it faces scrutiny.
“We’ve always been the good guys,” he told The Seattle Times.
Seattle mayor signs executive orders amid National Guard deployment
Last week, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell signed two executive orders in the wake of Trump ordering National Guard troops to cities including Portland and Chicago.
The first order prepares Seattle for potential unauthorized National Guard deployments, establishing legal readiness and coordination with state and city officials.
The second executive order focuses on immigration enforcement, proposing a ban on masked law enforcement officers. It would also require visible identification for all agencies operating in Seattle.
The order also restricts federal immigration authorities from using city property for operations, a move officials say is intended to prevent ICE from staging in public spaces.
President Trump defends his use of federal troops, saying recently, “We will never allow mobs to take over our streets, burn our cities, or destroy America.”
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