President Donald Trump’s orders give 2,000 soldiers the power to protect federal property like office buildings, but not to arrest civilians.
Trump orders troops in Los Angeles as an agent, protesters clash with immigrants
President Trump has ordered 2,000 National Guard forces in Los Angeles to fight violent protesters against immigration enforcement.
According to government officials, the order to unleash opposition from the California governor against President Washington-governor’s government’s objections is primarily political theatre.
But some say it is an act that risks the nation leaning towards martial law.
“The president has set a precedent, and this could be escalation, burnt-cen-like and come back to plague all Americans,” Sen. Jack Reid, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said on June 8th.
Trump’s orders give 2,000 soldiers the power to protect federal property, such as office buildings, but not to arrest civilians. Defense Secretary Pete Hegses is also ordering active-duty Marines to prepare for deployment in California.
The 300 members of the California State Guard, which deployed Sunday on three Los Angeles sites on Sunday, appeared out of the way of systematic opposition, according to defense officials who were not allowed to speak publicly. Their presence was a performance show of power, officials said, as their authority was clearly limited.
Most of the security guards are military police officers who usually have jobs on a day in civil law enforcement. They understand the need for restraint, officials said. For example, if you see a protester destroy federal property, or Social Security Agency property, you can detain the suspect and hand it over to local police.
Trump’s orders did not invoke the 18, 18 Rebellion Actth A law of the century that would make the state not do so, use the military to enforce federal laws, suppress rebellion, and protect the civil rights of the group. President George HW Bush was last called in 1992 at the request of the California governor after the police officer involved in the assault on Rodney King was acquitted.
Trump and Hegses’ unsolved actions in Newsom’s objection set a dangerous precedent, Reid said in a statement.
“It’s important that decisions of this magnitude involve transparency, restraint and respect for constitutional balance,” Reid said. “The President and Secretary of Defense should immediately overthrow these troops, and Congress should reject this dangerous overreaction.”
