In a significant escalation of federal response to ongoing protests against immigration raids, approximately 200 Marines are being deployed to Los Angeles to safeguard federal property and personnel, as stated by military officials on Friday.
Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, commander of Task Force 51, announced that the Marines have completed their training focused on civil disturbance and are set to assume their protective roles in the downtown federal building beginning at noon local time.
“I would like to emphasize that the soldiers will not participate in law enforcement activities. Rather, they’ll be focused on protecting federal law enforcement personnel,” said Sherman.
This development occurred after a temporary ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals stopped a federal judge’s directive to President Donald Trump, which required him to relinquish control of National Guard troops back to California.
Earlier this week, a federal judge had declared the National Guard deployment illegal, citing violations of the Tenth Amendment and President Trump’s exceeding of statutory authority.
The Marines’ deployment adds to the 2,000 National Guard troops that have already been active in Los Angeles since protests erupted over the immigration enforcement actions.
Following several nights of demonstrations, most have remained peaceful, with only a few arrests primarily for failure to disperse when requested by law enforcement.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has publicly condemned the military presence as a “serious breach of state sovereignty” and perceives it as a power grab by Trump. He is actively pursuing legal channels to challenge the troop deployment.
In defense of his actions, President Trump has invoked a legal statute allowing him to mobilize federal troops when there’s perceived rebellion or imminent rebellion against U.S. government authority.
The Posse Comitatus Act, which limits the use of active-duty military personnel in domestic law enforcement roles, remains a central legal consideration in this situation.
Maj. Gen. Sherman reiterated that National Guard soldiers assigned to this task would transition to provide support to federal law enforcement officials without engaging in any law enforcement roles themselves.
As the National Guard has previously been involved in protecting immigration enforcement personnel during arrests, Sherman clarified, “we have had no soldier or Marine detain anyone.”
The shift in duties for the National Guard troops will see them focus on providing protection to federal agents rather than conducting arrests or law enforcement tasks.
As demonstrations are anticipated to continue through the weekend, state governors are weighing their options concerning possible troop deployments in response to immigration enforcement protests.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has preemptively placed 5,000 National Guard members on standby in anticipation of planned demonstrations in various cities, while other governors in Republican-controlled states remain uncertain about their deployment strategies.
In contrast, a collective of Democratic governors issued a statement earlier this week condemning Trump’s deployment of military troops, calling it an “alarming abuse of power.”
Since protests began late last week, approximately 470 arrests have been made in Los Angeles, with the majority stemming from individuals refusing to evacuate the area when instructed.
Incidents leading to more serious charges include assault against officers and possession of potentially incendiary weapons. Nine officers have reported injuries, albeit minor, during the fray.
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