About 500 #NationalGuard troops in LA are trained to accompany agents on immigration raids
Nearly 5,000 military personnel have been mobilized in the Los Angeles area in response to immigration raid protests. A commander says National Guard troops and Marines will protect #ICE agents and federal buildings, and will be allowed to 'temporarily' detain people.
By LOLITA C. BALDOR
Updated 7:41 PM EDT, June 11, 2025
WASHINGTON (AP) — "About 500 of the National Guard troops deployed to the Los Angeles protests have been trained to accompany agents on immigration operations, the commander in charge said Wednesday. And while some troops have already gone on such missions, he said it’s too early to say if that will continue even after the protests die down.
"Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, speaking in an interview with The Associated Press and ABC, also warned that he expects the protest situation will escalate. 'We are expecting a ramp up,' he said, noting that protests across the nation are being planned and discussed now. 'I’m focused right here in LA, what’s going on right here. But you know, I think we’re, we’re very concerned.'
"Sherman, commander of Task Force 51 that is overseeing the more than 4,000 Guard troops and 700 #Marines deployed, initially said that National Guard troops had already temporarily detained some civilians. He later said he was incorrect, and that he had based his comments on photos and footage he had seen that turned out to not be a representation of Guard members in Los Angeles.
"He said that as of Wednesday, none of the troops has detained a protester. But he said they have gone through days of training and are prepared to do so if needed. Close to 2,000 of the Guard members have either been out protecting federal facilities or personnel already or are ready to move out, and the Marines will wrap up their training and are expected to be on the streets of Los Angeles as early as Thursday evening, Sherman said.
"The decision to have the soldiers provide security on the raids moves troops closer than ever before to carrying out law enforcement actions such as #deportations as President Donald Trump has promised as part of his immigration crackdown.
"#California Gov. #GavinNewsom has called the troop deployment a 'serious breach of state #sovereignty' and a #PowerGrab by Trump, and has gone to court to stop it. The president has cited a legal provision that allows him to mobilize 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 all of the Guard troops and Marines are going through several days of training on #CivilUnrest and #CrowdControl so they know exactly what they can and can’t do." [Um, yeah... Sure...]
