The United States military announced that in response to protests sparked by immigration enforcement, approximately 200 Marine Corps troops have been deployed to Los Angeles. They began taking over security duties at the federal building on Friday, June 13. Later that day, a man was temporarily detained by Marines outside the federal building, marking the first known detention incident in this deployment.
This incident comes as the federal and California governments are engaged in legal battles over the authority to deploy the National Guard. There is also anticipation for nationwide demonstrations set to take place over the weekend.
On Friday afternoon, a man in Westwood, Los Angeles, was subdued by Marine Corps troops outside the Wilshire Federal Building.
One Marine Corps member chased the man over benches and flower beds, subdued him on the ground, while another Marine Corps member came to assist and restrained the man’s hands with zip ties.
Approximately two hours later, the man was handed over to personnel from the Department of Homeland Security. The military later confirmed that this was the first temporary detention carried out by active-duty troops in this deployment.
The detained man, Marcos Leao, 27 years old, an immigrant and a former U.S. Army soldier, stated that he was crossing a yellow caution tape to get to the Department of Veterans Affairs office to save time and was immediately ordered to lie down.
Leao, who has Portuguese and Angolan heritage, obtained U.S. citizenship through his service. He said he complied with orders but believes the Marines mistakenly took him for a protester when he was simply there for business.
“They treated me fairly. They said to me, ‘This is a very stressful situation for everyone, everyone has their tasks,'” Leao told Reuters.
U.S. Army Major General Scott Sherman, commander of Task Force 51, stated that the Marine Corps troops took over from the National Guard on Friday noon to guard the federal building.
According to the command policy, active-duty troops may temporarily detain individuals under specific circumstances but must immediately transfer them to civilian law enforcement in a safe manner. Sherman emphasized that these troops “will not engage in law enforcement activities.”
As per the Posse Comitatus Act, federal military forces are prohibited from engaging in civilian law enforcement activities without specific authorization. Officials indicated that the current mission of the troops is limited to protecting federal property and personnel and supporting other federal agency actions, including cooperation with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
A spokesperson for U.S. Northern Command stated that active-duty troops “may temporarily detain individuals under specific circumstances,” but added, “Any temporary detention action should cease immediately upon safe transfer to civilian law enforcement.”
Recently, a legal battle has been brewing between President Trump and California Governor Newsom over the deployment authority of the National Guard. Federal Judge Charles R. Breyer ruled on Thursday that Trump should return the command of the California National Guard to the governor.
However, in the evening, the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals put an emergency freeze on that order, allowing the Trump administration to temporarily retain command authority. The court scheduled further hearings for next Tuesday, June 17.
Major General Sherman stated that the ongoing lawsuits have not impacted the operations of his troops and stressed, “We will continue to execute our missions until we receive new instructions from higher authorities.”
Sherman stated that the Marines deployed to Los Angeles have completed a rapid training lasting several days, including de-escalation techniques and rules of engagement. Soldiers have been issued weapons, protective gear, and gas masks, though live ammunition is not distributed.
About 200 Marine Corps troops and over 2,000 National Guard members are already deployed in the area. The military plans to send an additional 500 Marines and 2,000 National Guard members to assist in protecting federal facilities and supporting immigration enforcement-related actions.
Protests related to immigration enforcement have been ongoing for over a week. According to the Los Angeles police, more than 400 people have been arrested since last Saturday for refusing to disperse or violating curfew, with dozens facing more serious charges like assaulting law enforcement officers, throwing Molotov cocktails, or looting businesses.
A curfew has been in effect in downtown Los Angeles spanning approximately one square mile from 8 pm to 6 am the following day, with law enforcement continuing to bolster their presence.
Besides Los Angeles, cities like New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Seattle, and San Antonio have also seen anti-immigration enforcement demonstrations this week, expected to escalate over the weekend, including protests against Trump’s policies like the “No Kings” movement, happening in over 2,000 cities nationwide on Saturday.
Organizers claim these events will be conducted peacefully, with trained volunteers overseeing crowd control and safety protocols.