700 Marines reportedly deployed to LA amid ICE protests: Can Marines make arrests or conduct law enforcement activity?

The U.S. military is set to temporarily deploy about 700 Marines to Los Angeles while additional National Guard troops arrive in the city, a U.S. official told media outlet Reuters on Monday.

About 300 California National Guard troops were deployed to the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday to help quell a third day of protests over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement amid ICE raids and detentions, a step Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom called unlawful.

“I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism", stated Newsom on a social media post.

As things stand, the Marines are expected to be deployed to the city, but for now, the Insurrection Act is not expected to be invoked.

The number of National Guard troops is expected to rise to 2,000 by Wednesday and until then, the Marines are expected to merely provide additional support.

While the U.S. military cannot perform law enforcement activities inside the United States without invoking the Insurrection Act, the Pentagon often is called to respond to national crises, from the border mission to disaster relief to health emergencies.

Can Marines make arrests?

U.S. Marines cannot typically make arrests or conduct law enforcement activities in civilian areas unless the Insurrection Act is invoked, which allows the military to be used in certain situations to enforce federal laws or suppress rebellion.

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