Trump Using Military to Further Agenda, Says Constitutional Lawyer

Elizabeth Wydra, President of the Constitutional Accountability Center, says that constitutional guardrails are important to ensure US residents don't live under military authority, as President Trump dispatches more troops -including Marines and the National Guard- to counter anti-deportation protests.

Marines deployed by President Donald Trump arrived in the Los Angeles area with orders to protect federal property and officers, as the city is gripped by tensions over anti-deportation protests.

Seven hundred troops from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines have made it to the greater LA area, a spokesperson for the US Northern Command said, without disclosing their specific location. They will join about 2,100 members of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team who are also in the area, including in Paramount and Compton, according to the spokesperson.

Marine Corps Commandant General Eric Smith told the Senate Armed Services Committee members on Tuesday that the deployed troops are trained in crowd control. They’re equipped with “shields and batons,” but “do not have arrest authority,” he said, adding that they are there to support law enforcement, not replace it.

On Monday evening, Los Angeles’ police chief Jim McDonnell warned of significant challenges to law enforcement if troops were deployed without coordination with his department, adding that that he hadn’t been formally notified of the Marines arrival in advance. The department declined to comment on Tuesday.

The extraordinary deployment of military forces comes after Los Angeles saw a fourth night of clashes between police and demonstrators rallying in response to increasingly aggressive raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. On Monday, largely peaceful daytime protests morphed into scattered skirmishes with police shooting less-lethal ammunition and some protesters throwing bottles.

Over the previous few days, some of the demonstrations — especially at night — have been marked by violence, destruction of property, looting, blocking of freeways and the burning of vehicles, including self-driving Waymo cars. The LAPD has arrested several protesters, but declined on Tuesday to provide specific details about the number of people detained or the charges.

So far, the National Guard troops in the city have only been guarding federal buildings and clashes have involved the police and demonstrators.

--------

Watch Bloomberg Radio LIVE on YouTube

Weekdays 7am-6pm ET

Follow us on X

Subscribe to our Podcasts:

Bloomberg Daybreak

Bloomberg Surveillance

Bloomberg Intelligence

Balance of Power

Bloomberg Businessweek

Listen on Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the Bloomberg Business app:

Apple CarPlay

Android Auto

Visit our YouTube channels:

Bloomberg Podcasts

Bloomberg Television

Bloomberg Originals