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U.S. Marines deployed to Los Angeles detained their first civilian Friday amid ongoing immigration protests, marking an escalation in military involvement in domestic civil unrest.
The detention occurred at the Wilshire Federal Building, where approximately 200 Marines have been assigned to protect federal property and personnel, according to media reports. The U.S. military's Northern Command confirmed that active duty forces "may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances."
"Any temporary detention ends immediately when the individual(s) can be safely transferred to the custody of appropriate civilian law enforcement personnel," NORTHCOM stated.
The military presence in Los Angeles has grown substantially since protests erupted June 6, with roughly 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines now patrolling the streets. The deployment came despite warnings from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass that military intervention would escalate tensions.
Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, commanding both National Guard and Marine forces, emphasized Friday that troops would not engage in law enforcement activities. "Rather, they'll be focused on protecting federal law enforcement personnel," Sherman told reporters.
When questioned about armament, Sherman confirmed all military personnel carry their assigned weapons along with standard crowd control equipment, including helmets, face shields, shields, batons and gas masks.
A U.S. appeals court Thursday permitted President Donald Trump to maintain National Guard deployment in Los Angeles, temporarily halting a lower court ruling that found Trump's actions "were illegal—both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution."
The protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown have intensified in Los Angeles and spread to more than a dozen cities, including Dallas, Austin, Houston and San Antonio.
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