In total, 700 Marines had joined the guard amid controversy over President Donald Trump’s decision to federalize the National Guard. According to the department, the military wasn’t detaining anyone or participating in law enforcement activities.
“Right now, as of today, we have had no soldier or Marine detain anyone,” Army Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman said, according to the Defense Department’s website. Sherman leads Task Force 51, which is dedicated to supporting federal law enforcement in the area.
The total number of military service members has reached 4,700, including the Marines, National Guard, and 2,000 additional personnel assigned to the 49th Military Police Brigade.
Their announcement came as California Gov. Gavin Newsom accused the administration of violating the Posse Comitatus Act by using federal troops for domestic law enforcement. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer agreed on June 12 and said that Trump failed to follow a section of federal law requiring that the president federalize the National Guard with orders issued through state governors.
The Justice Department disagreed, stating that the law made Newsom a mere conduit for Trump’s decision and that no permission from the governor was required. It immediately appealed the judge’s order, prompting the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit to quickly halt the judge’s order and allow Trump’s use of the National Guard while the issue worked its way through the court system.
The Justice Department has accused Newsom of a “crass political stunt endangering American lives” in his request for the judge to halt Trump’s actions. In a filing to Breyer, it noted how a federal courthouse had been vandalized and immigration enforcement personnel encountered various attacks.
“Seven hours of non-stop fighting between federal officials and protesters ensued” on June 7, with damaged vehicles and mortar-style fireworks thrown at officers, the Justice Department stated.
Sherman said the average number of soldiers performing missions in the area has steadily increased, reaching an average of 800 at any given time. According to Sherman, military personnel have received training in de-escalation techniques and only used their equipment to “hold people away as the federal agents are doing their job.”
Also on June 13, Newsom accused the administration of “pulling National Guard members off of critical wildfire prevention and response missions.” He’s also generally alleged that the Trump administration is encroaching on his state’s authority over law enforcement.
Sherman seemed to inadvertently respond to news reporting Newsom relayed about guardsmen arriving without funding for food, water, fuel, or lodging.
The Marines and soldiers have adequate shelter, food and water,” Sherman said, according to the department’s website.
He refrained from offering details about where the Marines would be stationed but said the Marines, who guard U.S. embassies, “are certainly trained on how to defend a federal building.”
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