‘Devil’s in the details’: Lombardo waits for details on Trump’s deportation plans

Western governors said they were taking a wait-and-see attitude Monday when asked about their response to President-elect Donald Trump’s promises of an immigration crackdown.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo said the “devil’s in the details” when it comes to the state’s role in Trump’s plans to enact a mass deportation program, and whether Nevada would use its National Guard to carry out the program.

“It’s too soon to opine on the nebulous or the unknown,” he said during a news conference at the winter meeting of the Western Governors’ Association in Las Vegas. “A lot of things I know get promised during campaigns and then the practicality of implementing those comes to bear.”

On the campaign trail, Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, promised the “largest deportation of criminals” in U.S. history, though the logistical plans for how it will get accomplished are murky.

Lombardo said during a 2022 debate, when he was running for governor, that he would not send National Guard troops to the southern border.

New Mexico Gov. and Western Governors’ Association Chair Michelle Lujan Grisham said the western governors have learned to adapt to every federal administration, and each state has different priorities.

“Our Constitution is very clear about privacy,” she said. “It’s very clear about what we can and cannot do, and what we believe is the federal government’s responsibility and their limitations by the Constitution.”

Lujan Grisham said the association works together to continue to build and protect the states’ economies.

“We will do everything we believe is right that supports and protects the citizens and residents of our states in a way that makes the most sense for our states, and they may be different state to state,” she said.

Contact Jessica Hill at jehill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @jess_hillyeah on X.