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The Intercept
7 days ago
- Politics
- The Intercept
Troops Deployed to LA Have Done Precisely One Thing, Pentagon Says
Nearly 5,000 federal troops have been deployed to Los Angeles on the orders of President Donald Trump. They have done almost nothing, according to an official military spokesperson. In total, the National Guard members and Marines operating in Southern California have carried out exactly one temporary detainment. That's it. The deployments, which began more than one week ago, are expected to cost taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars. 'It's … the unnecessary militarization of the United States using U.S. forces on U.S. soil against U.S. citizens.' Troops were deployed in Los Angeles over the objections of local officials and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Officials and experts decried the show of military force to counter overwhelmingly peaceful and relatively limited protests as a dangerous abuse of power and a misuse of federal funds. 'As of today, Title 10 forces have been involved in one temporary detainment until the individual could be safely transferred to federal law enforcement,' U.S. Army North public affairs told The Intercept on Sunday, referring to a provision within Title 10 of the U.S. Code on Armed Services that allows the federal deployment of National Guard forces if 'there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' 'It's a complete waste of resources, but it's also the unnecessary militarization of the United States using U.S. forces on U.S. soil against U.S. citizens,' Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., told The Intercept. 'There was no reason for this to be done when local law enforcement and the state were capable of addressing the issue.' President Donald Trump initially called up more than 2,000 National Guard troops on June 7 to tamp down protests against his anti-immigrant campaign. In doing so, he exercised rarely used federal powers that bypassed Newsom's authority. Days later, Trump called up an additional 2,000 National Guard members. On Monday, June 9, the Trump administration went further, as U.S. Northern Command activated 700 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, assigned to Twentynine Palms, California, and sent them to LA. 'The deployment of military forces to Los Angeles is a threat to democracy and is likely illegal as well,' William Hartung, a senior research fellow at the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, told The Intercept. 'Sending thousands of troops to Los Angeles over the objections of local and state officials undermines the autonomy of states in a federal system. The president's remark that Governor Newsom should be arrested and his pledge that demonstrators at his military parade would be met with force indicate that the concentration of power in the presidency has gotten completely out of hand.' Last week, Department of Homeland Security assistant secretary for public affairs Tricia McLaughlin told The Intercept that DHS Secretary Kristi Noem called for a dramatic shift in protest response by bringing active-duty military personnel into law enforcement roles. 'As rioters have escalated their assaults on our DHS law enforcement and activists' behavior on the streets has become increasingly dangerous, Secretary Noem requested Secretary Hegseth direct the military on the ground in Los Angeles to arrest rioters to help restore law and order,' McLaughlin wrote in an email. DHS soon walked this back, asking The Intercept to disregard its earlier statement and stating that the 'posture' of 'troops has not changed.' The lone detention was reportedly conducted by Marines sent to guard the Wilshire Federal Building, a 17-story office building on Wilshire Boulevard in Los Angeles. Video of the incident shows Marines in full combat gear and automatic weapons zip-tying an unresisting man — clad in shorts, a T-shirt, and sunglasses — on the ground. At one point, the detainee, with his hands bound behind him, is surrounded by no fewer than six Marines and two other officials who appear to be federal security guards. The man, Marcos Leao, was not involved in any protest. The former Army combat engineer, who gained U.S. citizenship through his military service, told Reuters that he was in a rush to get to an appointment in the Veterans Affairs office inside the Federal Building. When he crossed a strand of caution tape, he found an armed Marine sprinting toward him. U.S. Army North did not respond for a request for additional information about the incident. U.S. Army North reported no other involvement in police actions aside from the lone detention. 'Military members in a Title 10 duty status are not authorized to directly participate in law enforcement activities. They may temporarily detain an individual for protection purposes — to stop an assault of, to prevent harm to, or to prevent interference with federal personnel performing their duties,' according to their public affairs office. 'Any such detention would end as soon as the individuals could be safely transferred to appropriate civilian law enforcement custody.' Since June 8, there have been 561 arrests related to protests across Los Angeles; 203, for failure to disperse, were made on the night of June 10, after Trump ordered in the National Guard and Marines. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told the House Defense Appropriations subcommittee that he expected troops to stay in Los Angeles for 60 days to 'ensure that those rioters, looters and thugs on the other side assaulting our police officers know that we're not going anywhere.' The estimated cost of deploying the first 2,000 Guard members and 700 Marines was $134 million, according to the Pentagon's acting comptroller/CFO, Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell. Northern Command Public Affairs directed The Intercept to the Office of the Secretary of Defense for an updated estimate of the rising costs of the deployment. 'We don't have anything to provide at this time,' the Pentagon replied by email. Khanna said that the Trump administration's military overreach in California held lessons for other states and jurisdictions. 'Governors need to be on guard and vigilant about Trump's overreactions,' he told The Intercept. 'He's already said that he is going to target blue cities and blue states. So we need to be united in pushing back.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Hearing on California's challenge to Trump's deployment of troops to LA set for Thursday
A federal hearing is scheduled Thursday over whether the Trump administration can deploy National Guardsmen and Marines to the Los Angeles area to assist with enforcing federal immigration laws. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an emergency request on Tuesday to block expansion of what they called President Donald Trump and the Department of Defense's "unnecessary" and "unlawful militarization." MORE: Trump's deployment of troops to LA prompts host of legal questions -- and a challenge from California The request, which was filed as part of Newsom and Bonta's lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeks to prevent the use of federalized National Guard and active duty Marines beyond protecting federal buildings and property. To send thousands of National Guardsmen to Los Angeles, Trump invoked Section 12406 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code on Armed Services, which allows a federal deployment in response to a "rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States." In his order, Trump said the troops would protect federal property and federal personnel who are performing their functions. Bonta argued in the filing that Trump failed to meet the legal requirements for such a federal deployment. "To put it bluntly, there is no invasion or rebellion in Los Angeles; there is civil unrest that is no different from episodes that regularly occur in communities throughout the country, and that is capable of being contained by state and local authorities working together," Bonta wrote. MORE: Protests live updates: Americans split over support of LA protests, poll finds U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer declined California's request to issue a temporary restraining order immediately and instead set the hearing for Thursday afternoon and gave the Trump administration the time they requested to file a response. In their response, Department of Justice lawyers asked the judge to deny Newsom's request for a temporary restraining order that would limit the military to protecting federal buildings, arguing such an order would amount to a "rioters' veto to enforcement of federal law." "The extraordinary relief Plaintiffs request would judicially countermand the Commander in Chief's military directives -- and would do so in the posture of a temporary restraining order, no less. That would be unprecedented. It would be constitutionally anathema. And it would be dangerous," they wrote. They also argued California should not "second-guess the President's judgment that federal reinforcements were necessary" and that a federal court should defer to the president's discretion on military matters. Some 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines have been deployed to the Los Angeles area following protests over immigration raids. California leaders claim Trump inflamed the protests by sending in the military when it was not necessary. Protests have since spread to other cities, including Boston, Chicago and Seattle. MORE: How the immigration protests in Los Angeles started Trump on Tuesday defended his decision to send in the National Guard and Marines, saying the situation in LA was "out of control." "All I want is safety. I just want a safe area," he told reporters. "Los Angeles was under siege until we got there. The police were unable to handle it." Trump went on to suggest that he sent in the National Guard and the Marines to send a message to other cities not to interfere with ICE operations or they will be met with equal or greater force. "If we didn't attack this one very strongly, you'd have them all over the country," he said. "But I can inform the rest of the country that when they do it, if they do it, they're going to be met with equal or greater force than we met right here." ABC News' Peter Charalambous and Alexandra Hutzler contributed to this report. Hearing on California's challenge to Trump's deployment of troops to LA set for Thursday originally appeared on
12-06-2025
- Politics
Hearing on California's challenge to Trump's deployment of troops to LA set for Thursday
A federal hearing is scheduled Thursday over whether the Trump administration can deploy National Guardsmen and Marines to the Los Angeles area to assist with enforcing federal immigration laws. California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed an emergency request on Tuesday to block expansion of what they called President Donald Trump and the Department of Defense's "unnecessary" and "unlawful militarization." The request, which was filed as part of Newsom and Bonta's lawsuit against the Trump administration, seeks to prevent the use of federalized National Guard and active duty Marines beyond protecting federal buildings and property. To send thousands of National Guardsmen to Los Angeles, Trump invoked Section 12406 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code on Armed Services, which allows a federal deployment in response to a "rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States." In his order, Trump said the troops would protect federal property and federal personnel who are performing their functions. Bonta argued in the filing that Trump failed to meet the legal requirements for such a federal deployment. "To put it bluntly, there is no invasion or rebellion in Los Angeles; there is civil unrest that is no different from episodes that regularly occur in communities throughout the country, and that is capable of being contained by state and local authorities working together," Bonta wrote. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer declined California's request to issue a temporary restraining order immediately and instead set the hearing for Thursday afternoon and gave the Trump administration the time they requested to file a response. In their response, Department of Justice lawyers asked the judge to deny Newsom's request for a temporary restraining order that would limit the military to protecting federal buildings, arguing such an order would amount to a "rioters' veto to enforcement of federal law." "The extraordinary relief Plaintiffs request would judicially countermand the Commander in Chief's military directives -- and would do so in the posture of a temporary restraining order, no less. That would be unprecedented. It would be constitutionally anathema. And it would be dangerous," they wrote. They also argued California should not "second-guess the President's judgment that federal reinforcements were necessary" and that a federal court should defer to the president's discretion on military matters. Some 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines have been deployed to the Los Angeles area following protests over immigration raids. California leaders claim Trump inflamed the protests by sending in the military when it was not necessary. Protests have since spread to other cities, including Boston, Chicago and Seattle. Trump on Tuesday defended his decision to send in the National Guard and Marines, saying the situation in LA was "out of control." "All I want is safety. I just want a safe area," he told reporters. "Los Angeles was under siege until we got there. The police were unable to handle it." Trump went on to suggest that he sent in the National Guard and the Marines to send a message to other cities not to interfere with ICE operations or they will be met with equal or greater force. "If we didn't attack this one very strongly, you'd have them all over the country," he said. "But I can inform the rest of the country that when they do it, if they do it, they're going to be met with equal or greater force than we met right here."
The Intercept
10-06-2025
- Politics
- The Intercept
Trump Deploys Marines to a 'Manufactured Crisis,' Defense Official Says
Marines are headed to Los Angeles as the Trump administration ratchets up tensions that threaten to turn largely peaceful protests there into a full-blown crisis. It's a rare and aggressive step to involve active-duty troops in civilian law enforcement activities. A defense official, speaking on the condition of anonymity for fear of retribution, called the activation of the Marines a 'provocation' designed to foster to a 'manufactured crisis.' Experts question the legality of the mobilization of the Marines. On Saturday, President Donald Trump took the already extraordinary action of calling up more than 2,000 National Guard troops to tamp down demonstrations in California. In doing so, he exercised rarely used federal powers that bypassed Gov. Gavin Newsom's authority. He followed it up two days later with an even more extreme move. While it is unclear under what authority Trump and the Defense Department did so, U.S. Northern Command activated 700 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division, assigned to Twentynine Palms, California. They are being shipped out to support Task Force 51 — a deployable command post used in crisis response — 'who are protecting federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area,' according to a statement issued by NORTHCOM. 'The level of escalation is completely unwarranted, uncalled for, and unprecedented — mobilizing the best in class branch of the U.S. military against its own citizens,' Newsom's office said in a statement. 'Military presence is not needed. The state is already working with local partners to surge 800+ additional state and local law enforcement officers into Los Angeles to clean up President Trump's mess,' Tara Gallegos, a spokesperson for Newsom, told The Intercept by email. Experts say that the introduction of the Marines further strains civil-military relations and risks violation of the Posse Comitatus Act: a bedrock 19th-century law seen as fundamental to the democratic tradition in America. The Posse Comitatus Act bars federal troops from participating in civilian law enforcement. 'This is obviously an extreme escalation that is going to pour gasoline on an already combustible situation.' 'This is obviously an extreme escalation that is going to pour gasoline on an already combustible situation,' said Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Brennan Center's liberty and national security program. 'It's almost inevitable that the Marines are going to be laying hands on civilians and exercising the kinds of coercive powers that would normally be illegal under the Posse Comitatus Act.' The Trump administration is attempting to justify its escalatory tactics by claiming people protesting his anti-immigration agenda constitute a rebellion or threaten to become one. The directive signed by Trump, calling up the Guard, cites '10 U.S.C. 12406,' a provision within Title 10 of the U.S. Code on Armed Services that allows the federal deployment of National Guard forces if 'there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.' 'Task Force 51 is now comprised of approximately 2,100 National Guard soldiers in a Title 10 status and 700 active-duty Marines,' according to NORTHCOM and have 'been trained in de-escalation, crowd control, and standing rules for the use of force.' The Marines 'have the same task and purpose as the National Guard,' said another defense official who spoke with The Intercept on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely. 'You can think of them as an additional force to do the same thing. They just happen to be active-duty Marines. But all of the troops in total who are doing this are all activated under Title 10.' Goitein disputes that Marines can be employed under the same authority as the National Guard. 'Legally, they can't rely on the same authority. They're not in the same position legally,' she said. Title '10 U.S.C. 12406 applies to the National Guard. It doesn't apply to the active-duty armed forces.' Goitein also pointed to the cultural difference and the public perceptions that separate National Guard troops from the active-duty armed forces. 'Active-duty troops, like these Marines, are full-time professional soldiers. The National Guard, at least historically, have been citizen-soldiers who are in their communities during the week and training on weekends,' she told The Intercept. 'For Californians, Los Angelenos, who are facing these Marines, it feels different and to some degree it is different.' A few hundred of the 2,000 National Guard troops called up to serve in Los Angeles are already in the city as federal agents and people protesting immigration raids faced off for a fourth day on Monday. Protests, as of the afternoon, were largely orderly and peaceful. 'Mobilizing Marines against their neighbors is a profoundly dangerous escalation. This deployment is plainly illegal, and it points to the reason why we have laws against these deployments in the first place,' Sara Haghdoosti, the executive director of Win Without War, told The Intercept. 'Not only is it an authoritarian power grab, it also threatens the physical health of people exercising their constitutional rights to protest and to the moral health of Marines now ordered to suppress those rights.'
Los Angeles Times
09-06-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
California will sue Trump over ‘unlawful, unprecedented' National Guard deployment
California officials on Monday said they would file a federal lawsuit over the mobilization of the state's National Guard during the weekend's massive immigration protests in Los Angeles, accusing President Trump of overstepping his federal authority and violating the U.S. Constitution. As thousands of people gathered in the streets to protest raids and arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Trump mobilized nearly 2,000 members of the National Guard over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who said Trump was sowing chaos in the streets for political purposes. California Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said the lawsuit will accuse Trump and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth of violating the 10th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which spells out the limits of federal power. Bonta and Newsom will ask a federal judge to set aside the 'unlawful, unpredecented' deployment of the National Guard. 'Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the President's authority under the law, and not one we take lightly,' Bonta said in a statement. The California lawsuit follows days of protests and some violent clashes between protesters, local police and federal officials following the ICE raids. Local officials have decried vandalism and burglaries during the protests, but have defended the right of Angelenos to peacefully demonstrate against the Trump administration's immigration enforcement. Trump officials said the military mobilization is legal under Title 10 of the U.S. Code on Armed Services, which gives the president the authority to call up the National Guard if there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States.' Such a move is exceedingly rare. The last time the White House sent the National Guard into a state without a request from the governor was six decades ago, when President Lyndon B. Johnson mobilized troops in Alabama to defend civil rights demonstrators in 1965. Bonta's office said the last time that Title 10 was invoked was 1970, when President Richard Nixon mobilized the National Guard to deliver the mail during a U.S. Postal Service strike. Trump has said that the mobilization was 'a great decision' necessary to 'deal with the violent, instigated riots in California,' and that if he hadn't mobilized the forces, 'Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated.' Tom Homan, the Trump administration's 'border czar,' said the action was 'about enforcing the law' amid assaults on federal authorities. 'We're not going to apologize for doing it,' Homan said. 'We're stepping up.' On Saturday, Newsom's office sent a formal letter to the Trump administration asking them to rescind their deployment of troops. The letter described the mobilization as 'a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation, while simultaneously depriving the state from deploying these personnel and resources where they are truly required.' In interviews and social media posts, Newsom put a finer point on it, saying the escalating tensions that followed the National Guard mobilization was 'exactly what Donald Trump wanted.' Newsom has warned that the executive order that Trump signed applies to other states as well as to California, which will 'allow him to go into any state and do the same thing.' This is a breaking story and will be updated.
