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The Military Occupied LA for 40 Days and All They Did Was Detain One Guy
Key Excerpts from Article on Website of The Intercept
Posted: August 23rd, 2025
https://theintercept.com/2025/07/16/federal-troops-la-doing-...
Thousands of federal troops have been deployed to Los Angeles since June 7 on the orders of President Donald Trump. The more than 5,000 National Guard soldiers and Marines ... were sent to “protect the safety and security of federal functions, personnel, and property.” In practice, this has mostly meant guarding federal buildings across LA from protests. Since Trump called up the troops on June 7, they have carried out exactly one temporary detainment. The deployments are expected to cost the public hundreds of millions of dollars. Troops were sent to LA over the objections of local officials and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. In addition to guarding federal buildings, troops have also recently participated in raids alongside camouflage-clad ICE agents. “To have armored vehicles deployed on the streets of our city, to federalize the National Guard, to have the U.S. Marines who are trained to kill abroad, deployed to our city — all of this is outrageous and it is un-American,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass [said]. California National Guard soldiers also backed ICE raids on state-licensed marijuana nurseries last week. The troops took part in the military-style assaults on two locations. ICE detained more than 200 people, including U.S. citizens, during the joint operations. One man, Jaime Alanís Garcia, died. Experts say that the introduction of military troops into civilian law enforcement support further strains civil-military relations and risks violation of the Posse Comitatus Act.
Note: According to the Brennan Center for Justice, this use of federal troops for civilian law enforcement is likely illegal under the Posse Comitatus Act because it wasn't "expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress." The systematic militarization of domestic police forces is well-reported, and has been going on for years. Now, the National Guard is increasingly being trained to treat protesters like enemy troops. What happens to civil liberties when civil society is viewed by authorities as a battle-front?
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