Latest news with #2ndBattalion7thMarines
Yahoo
18 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Convoy departs from Twentynine Palms as Marines deployed to Los Angeles amid protests
(This story has been updated with additional information.) Roughly 700 Marines from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms were expected to be activated and sent to Los Angeles in response to the protests and unrest there, defense officials confirmed Monday afternoon. California Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately blasted the decision to deploy combat troops on American soil as "un-American." In addition to the Marine mobilization, a Pentagon official said later Monday on social media that an additional 2,000 California National Guard are being deployed at the order of President Donald Trump, a couple days after an initial round of hundreds of guard members were sent to LA. A Desert Sun photojournalist observed five buses and six to 10 armed vehicles passing Park Boulevard near Joshua Tree while heading west on Highway 62 — the main route from Twentynine Palms to Los Angeles — shortly after 7 p.m. Monday. At the nearby crosswalk, about 20 protestors were gathered demonstrating against the recent immigration raids. It was unclear what the Marines will be tasked with in Los Angeles, according to CNN, which first reported the mobilization while citing three people familiar with the matter. But one of the people familiar with the mobilization said they will be augmenting the National Guard's presence on the ground in LA. The roughly 700 Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division "will seamlessly integrate with the Title 10 (National Guard) forces under Task Force 51 who are protecting federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area," the U.S. Northern Command said in a prepared statement. "The activation of the Marines is intended to provide Task Force 51 with adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency," the statement added. The battalion is based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. Reuters cited an official who said that despite the Marines being sent, the Insurrection Act was not expected to be invoked. The Marines cannot conduct law enforcement activity such as making arrests unless Trump invokes that act, per CNN. The Marine mobilization came after hundreds of California National Guard soldiers were deployed over the weekend in downtown Los Angeles by President Donald Trump, citing 'incidents of violence and disorder' during protests against the administration's deportation policies and recent raids. The U.S. Northern Command posted pictures on social media shortly before 5 p.m. Monday that appeared to be taken at the Twentynine Palms base showing Marines and vehicles as they prepared to depart for the Los Angeles area. The move drew fierce pushback from California's leaders, including Newsom, who say local law enforcement agencies are more than capable of keeping the peace in the city. The National Guard is usually called in at the request of a state's governor; a president has not deployed troops without a governor's request since 1965. The state of California announced Monday that it is suing the Trump administration over its decision to federalize the National Guard and send its members onto city streets. Newsom criticized the decision to mobilize the Marines in Twentynine Palms in a post Monday afternoon on X. "U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes," Newsom said. "They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President. This is un-American." In a statement Monday, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said his office 'has not received any formal notification that the Marines will be arriving in Los Angeles,' and he urged clear communication to 'prevent confusion' and 'avoid escalation.' 'The possible arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles — absent clear coordination — presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding the city,' McDonnell said in a prepared statement. He added the city's police department, alongside mutual aid partners, have 'decades of experience managing large-scale public demonstrations, and we remain confident in our ability to do so professionally and effectively.' 'That said, our top priority is the safety of both the public and the officers on the ground,' McDonnell said. 'We are urging open and continuous communication between all agencies to prevent confusion, avoid escalation, and ensure a coordinated, lawful, and orderly response during this critical time.' The LAPD arrested 29 people for failure to disperse Saturday evening, according to a press release issued Monday. On Sunday, 21 people were arrested by the department, with charges including attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, looting and failure to disperse. Initial figures show five LAPD officers sustained minor injuries during the confrontations with protestors, according to the department, while five LAPD horses were also 'targeted' and sustained minor injuries. 'Throughout (Sunday) evening, officers encountered groups using handheld radios to coordinate movement and evade law enforcement,' the department said. 'By approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 9, the crowd had (dispersed) enough for LAPD personnel to begin demobilizing.' The police department is reviewing body-worn video and other evidence related to the incidents and said it would work with prosecutors 'to seek appropriate charges for those involved in criminal activity.' Additionally, the LAPD Professional Standards Bureau will investigate allegations of excessive force and other issues related to officers' actions during the protests. Taya Gray and Jay Calderon of The Desert Sun and USA TODAY contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Convoy departs Twentynine Palms after Marines ordered to LA
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
US defense department draws up rules on possible use of force by Marines deployed to LA protests
WASHINGTON: The US Department of Defense was scrambling Monday to establish rules to guide Marines who could be faced with the rare and difficult prospect of using force against citizens on American soil, now that the Trump administration is deploying active duty troops to the immigration raid protests in Los Angeles. US Northern Command said it is sending 700 Marines into the Los Angeles area to protect federal property and personnel, including federal immigration agents. The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines are coming from Twentynine Palms, California, and will augment about 4,100 National Guard members already in LA or authorized to be deployed there to respond to the protests. The forces have been trained in de-escalation, crowd control and standing rules for the use of force, Northern Command said. But the use of the active duty forces still raises difficult questions. The Marines are highly trained in combat and crisis response, with time in conflict zones like Syria and Afghanistan. But that is starkly different from the role they will face now: They could potentially be hit by protesters carrying gas canisters and have to quickly decide how to respond or face decisions about protecting an immigration enforcement agent from crowds. According to a US official, troops will be armed with their normal service weapons but will not be carrying tear gas. They also will have protective equipment such as helmets, shields and gas masks. When troops are overseas, how they can respond to threats is outlined by the rules of engagement. At home, they are guided by standing rules for the use of force, which have to be set and agreed to by Northern Command, and then each Marine should receive a card explaining what they can and cannot do, another US official said. For example, warning shots would be prohibited, according to use-of-force draft documents viewed by The Associated Press. Marines are directed to de-escalate a situation whenever possible but also are authorized to act in self-defense, the documents say. The AP reviewed documents and interviewed nine US officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet public, about the guidance being determined for the Marines. The Pentagon also is working on a memo with clarifying language for the Marines that will lay out the steps they can take to protect federal personnel and property. Those guidelines also will include specifics on the possibility that they could temporarily detain civilians if troops are under assault or to prevent harm, the first US official said. Those measures could involve detaining civilians until they can be turned over to law enforcement. Having the Marines deploy to protect federal buildings allows them to be used without invoking the Insurrection Act, one US official said. The Insurrection Act allows the president to direct federal troops to conduct law enforcement functions in national emergencies. But the use of that act is extremely rare. Officials said that has not yet been done in this case and that it's not clear it will be done. President George H.W. Bush used the Insurrection Act to respond to riots in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of white police officers who were videotaped beating Black motorist Rodney King. If their role expands if the violence escalates, it is not clear under what legal authority they would be able to engage, said Elizabeth Goitein, a senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. 'If in fact those Marines are laying hands on civilians, doing searches, then you have pretty powerful legal concerns,' Goitein said. 'No statutory authority Trump has invoked so far permits this.' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tweeted late Saturday that he was considering deploying the Marines to respond to the unrest after getting advice earlier in the day from Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to one of the US officials. Still, the tweet, which was posted to Hegseth's personal X account and not to his official government account, caught many inside the Pentagon by surprise. As late as Monday, the military's highest offices were still considering the potential ramifications. But the Marine Corps were asking broader questions, too: Do they send more senior, experienced personnel so as not to put newer, less experienced troops at risk of potentially making a judgment call on whether to use force against a civilian? What's lawful under a domestic deployment — where troops may end up in a policing role — is governed by the Fourth Amendment in the US Constitution, which forbids seizure of persons, including temporarily restraining them, unless it could be considered reasonable under the circumstances. Troops under federal authorities are in general prohibited from conducting law enforcement on US soil under the Posse Comitatus Act.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Politics
- Bloomberg
Pentagon Sends 700 Marines to Los Angeles, Escalating Response to Protests
The Trump administration is sending about 700 active duty Marines to reinforce the National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles, the US Northern Command said Monday of a move continuing an escalation that California officials have called unwarranted. The unit 'placed in an alert status over the weekend' from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division 'will seamlessly integrate with' National Guardsman 'who are protecting federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area,' the US Northern Command said in a press release.
The Independent
a day ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Pentagon draws up rules on possible use of force by Marines deployed to LA protests
The Pentagon was scrambling Monday to establish rules to guide U.S. Marines who could be faced with the rare and difficult prospect of using force against citizens on American soil, now that the Trump administration is deploying active duty troops to the immigration raid protests in Los Angeles. U.S. Northern Command said it is sending 700 Marines into the Los Angeles area to protect federal property and personnel, including federal immigration agents. The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines are coming from Twentynine Palms, California, and will augment about 2,100 National Guard soldiers in LA responding to the protests. The forces have been trained in deescalation, crowd control and standing rules for the use of force, Northern Command said. But the use of the active duty forces still raises difficult questions. The Marines are highly trained in combat and crisis response, with time in conflict zones like Syria and Afghanistan. But that is starkly different from the role they will face now: They could potentially be hit by protesters carrying gas canisters and have to quickly decide how to respond or face decisions about protecting an immigration enforcement agent from crowds. According to a U.S. official, troops will be armed with their normal service weapons but will not be carrying tear gas. They also will have protective equipment such as helmets, shields and gas masks. When troops are overseas, how they can respond to threats is outlined by the rules of engagement. At home, they are guided by standing rules for the use of force, which have to be set and agreed to by Northern Command, and then each Marine should receive a card explaining what they can and cannot do, another U.S. official said. For example, warning shots would be prohibited, according to use-of-force draft documents viewed by The Associated Press. Marines are directed to deescalate a situation whenever possible but also are authorized to act in self-defense, the documents say. The AP reviewed documents and interviewed nine U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet public, about the guidance being determined for the Marines. The Pentagon also is working on a memo with clarifying language for the Marines that will lay out the steps they can take to protect federal personnel and property. Those guidelines also will include specifics on the possibility that they could temporarily detain civilians if troops are under assault or to prevent harm, the first U.S. official said. Those measures could involve detaining civilians until they can be turned over to law enforcement. Having the Marines deploy to protect federal buildings allows them to be used without invoking the Insurrection Act, one U.S. official said. The Insurrection Act allows the president to direct federal troops to conduct law enforcement functions in national emergencies. But the use of that act is extremely rare. Officials said that has not yet been done in this case and that it's not clear it will be done. President George H.W. Bush used the Insurrection Act to respond to riots in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of white police officers who were videotaped beating Black motorist Rodney King. If their role expands if the violence escalates, it is not clear under what legal authority they would be able to engage, said Elizabeth Goitein, a senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. 'If in fact those Marines are laying hands on civilians, doing searches, then you have pretty powerful legal concerns,' Goitein said. 'No statutory authority Trump has invoked so far permits this.' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tweeted late Saturday that he was considering deploying the Marines to respond to the unrest after getting advice earlier in the day from Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to one of the U.S. officials. Still, the tweet, which was posted to Hegseth's personal X account and not to his official government account, caught many inside the Pentagon by surprise. As late as Monday, the military's highest offices were still considering the potential ramifications. But the Marine Corps were asking broader questions, too: Do they send more senior, experienced personnel so as not to put newer, less experienced troops at risk of potentially making a judgment call on whether to use force against a civilian? What's lawful under a domestic deployment — where troops may end up in a policing role — is governed by the Fourth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution, which forbids seizure of persons, including temporarily restraining them, unless it could be considered reasonable under the circumstances. Troops under federal authorities are in general prohibited from conducting law enforcement on U.S. soil under the Posse Comitatus Act.
Associated Press
a day ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Pentagon draws up rules on possible use of force by Marines deployed to LA protests
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Pentagon was scrambling Monday to establish rules to guide U.S. Marines who could be faced with the rare and difficult prospect of using force against citizens on American soil, now that the Trump administration is deploying active duty troops to the immigration raid protests in Los Angeles. U.S. Northern Command said it is sending 700 Marines into the Los Angeles area to protect federal property and personnel, including federal immigration agents. The 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines are coming from Twentynine Palms, California, and will augment about 2,100 National Guard soldiers in LA responding to the protests. The forces have been trained in deescalation, crowd control and standing rules for the use of force, Northern Command said. But the use of the active duty forces still raises difficult questions. The Marines are highly trained in combat and crisis response, with time in conflict zones like Syria and Afghanistan. But that is starkly different from the role they will face now: They could potentially be hit by protesters carrying gas canisters and have to quickly decide how to respond or face decisions about protecting an immigration enforcement agent from crowds. According to a U.S. official, troops will be armed with their normal service weapons but will not be carrying tear gas. They also will have protective equipment such as helmets, shields and gas masks. When troops are overseas, how they can respond to threats is outlined by the rules of engagement. At home, they are guided by standing rules for the use of force, which have to be set and agreed to by Northern Command, and then each Marine should receive a card explaining what they can and cannot do, another U.S. official said. For example, warning shots would be prohibited, according to use-of-force draft documents viewed by The Associated Press. Marines are directed to deescalate a situation whenever possible but also are authorized to act in self-defense, the documents say. The AP reviewed documents and interviewed nine U.S. officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details not yet public, about the guidance being determined for the Marines. The Pentagon also is working on a memo with clarifying language for the Marines that will lay out the steps they can take to protect federal personnel and property. Those guidelines also will include specifics on the possibility that they could temporarily detain civilians if troops are under assault or to prevent harm, the first U.S. official said. Those measures could involve detaining civilians until they can be turned over to law enforcement. Having the Marines deploy to protect federal buildings allows them to be used without invoking the Insurrection Act, one U.S. official said. The Insurrection Act allows the president to direct federal troops to conduct law enforcement functions in national emergencies. But the use of that act is extremely rare. Officials said that has not yet been done in this case and that it's not clear it will be done. President George H.W. Bush used the Insurrection Act to respond to riots in Los Angeles in 1992 after the acquittal of white police officers who were videotaped beating Black motorist Rodney King. If their role expands if the violence escalates, it is not clear under what legal authority they would be able to engage, said Elizabeth Goitein, a senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU Law. 'If in fact those Marines are laying hands on civilians, doing searches, then you have pretty powerful legal concerns,' Goitein said. 'No statutory authority Trump has invoked so far permits this.' Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth tweeted late Saturday that he was considering deploying the Marines to respond to the unrest after getting advice earlier in the day from Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, according to one of the U.S. officials. Still, the tweet, which was posted to Hegseth's personal X account and not to his official government account, caught many inside the Pentagon by surprise. As late as Monday, the military's highest offices were still considering the potential ramifications. But the Marine Corps were asking broader questions, too: Do they send more senior, experienced personnel so as not to put newer, less experienced troops at risk of potentially making a judgment call on whether to use force against a civilian? What's lawful under a domestic deployment — where troops may end up in a policing role — is governed by the Fourth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution, which forbids seizure of persons, including temporarily restraining them, unless it could be considered reasonable under the circumstances. Troops under federal authorities are in general prohibited from conducting law enforcement on U.S. soil under the Posse Comitatus Act.
