Maj Gen Scott Sherman, commander of Task Force 51 who is overseeing the 4,700 troops deployed, said Friday that the Marines have finished training on civil disturbance.
Sherman said the Marines would take over operations at noon local time at the federal building in downtown Los Angeles. “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,” Sherman said.
The development comes a day after the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a federal judge’s order that had directed President Donald Trump to return control of National Guard troops to California, shortly after a federal judge had ruled the Guard deployment was illegal and both violated the Tenth Amendment and exceeded Trump’s statutory authority.
The Marines will join some 2,000 National Guard troops that have been on the streets of the city since last week when immigration raids set off protests. Over the past three nights the demonstrations have been largely peaceful with only a handful of arrests mostly due to people failing to disperse. California Gov Gavin Newsom has called the troop deployment a “serious breach of state sovereignty” and a power grab by Trump, and he has gone to court to stop it.
The president has cited a legal provision that allows him to mobilise federal service members when there is “a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States”.
Under the Posse Comitatus Act, active-duty forces are prohibited by law from conducting law enforcement.
Sherman said the National Guard soldiers at that location will transition to provide protection to federal law enforcement agents but not participate in law enforcement activities.
Sherman said the US Marine Corps is responsible for guarding US embassies overseas so they are well-trained on how to defend a federal building.
Some National Guard troops have protected immigration agents making arrests but Sherman said “we have had no soldier or Marine detain anyone”.
The National Guard troops that were protecting federal property will transition to providing protection to more federal law enforcement officials, Sherman said.
States face questions on deploying troops
With more demonstrations expected over the weekend, and the possibility that Trump could send troops to other states for immigration enforcement, governors are weighing what to do.
Texas Gov Greg Abbott, a Republican, has put 5,000 National Guard members on standby in cities where demonstrations are planned. In other Republican-controlled states, governors have not said when or how they may deploy troops.
A group of Democratic governors earlier signed a statement this week calling Trump’s deployments “an alarming abuse of power”.
Hundreds arrested in LA protests
There have been about 470 arrests since Saturday, the vast majority of which were for failing to leave the area at the request of law enforcement, according to the police department.
There have been a handful of more serious charges, including for assault against officers and for possession of a Molotov cocktail and a gun. Nine officers have been hurt, mostly with minor injuries.
