700 Marines Arrive in Los Angeles in Addition to National Guard

National Guard troops already federalized and sent to Los Angeles by Donald Trump were joined by 700 Marines to confront largely non-violent protests occurring in a very small portion of the area against federal immigration raids.

The Marines are said to have received training in crowd control and have been issued such equipment as shields and batons. They do not have the authority to perform arrest. Their purpose is states as “to protect federal property and federal personnel.”

The Pentagon estimates deploying these troops from the two sources is about $134 million. Deployment has not included normal organization of food, water or sleeping quarters. Photos have circulated of soldiers sleeping on the bare concrete floor of a parking garage.

California urgently requested a temporary restraining order against military deployment. The state’s filing notably asserts California “does not seek to prevent any of those forces from protecting the safety of federal buildings or other real property owned or leased by the federal government, or federal personnel on such property,” but “seeks narrow relief tailored to avoid irreparable harm to our communities and the rule of law that is likely to result” if military personnel participate in immigration and law enforcement.

The TRO was not issued by the requested deadline. The judge chose to allow the federal government 24 hours to respond.

Federal law prohibits the military from engaging in domestic law enforcement unless the President invokes the Insurrection Act.

Morale among deployed troops was described as low. Many told friends and family they are deeply unhappy and uncomfortable about this mission. By law, they cannot speak publicly about what they are doing.

Marine Corps veteran Janessa Goldbeck, who runs the Vet Voice Foundation, told The Guardian, “Among all that I spoke with, the feeling was that the Marines are being used as political pawns, and it strains the perception that Marines are apolitical. Some were concerned that the Marines were being set up for failure. The overall perception was that the situation was nowhere at the level where Marines were necessary.”

Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative told The Guardian, “The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn’t the kind of national security we signed up for. Families are scared not just for their loved ones’ safety, although that’s a big concern, but also for what their service is being used to justify.”

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