President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday tasking his secretary of defense, Pete Hegseth, with establishing “specialized units” in the National Guard that will be “specifically trained and equipped to deal with public order issues” — the clearest sign yet he intends to expand the US military’s role in domestic law enforcement activities across the country.

As Democrats push back on a military crackdown on crime in U.S. cities, Trump defended the move and said it is not about authoritarianism.

An executive order released on Monday directs the creation of specialized Guard units to quell civil disturbances in each state and seeks civilian volunteers to assist federal agents in Washington.