Marines Begin Protecting LA Federal Properties Amid ICE Protest Unrest

Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment have begun their duties guarding federal buildings in Los Angeles. This is part of the military's answer to the ongoing protests in the city about immigration. Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, commander of Task Force 51, stated that the change in tasks is a result of the California National Guard's involvement in supporting local police.

Sherman told the press on Friday, "As you know, the US Marine Corps is in charge of protecting our embassies around the world." "Trained to protect federal buildings, that is what we have given them to do here."

The Marines visited the Wilshire Federal Building on Thursday night and conducted "left seat, right seat" familiarization training with the 79th Infantry Brigade of the California Army National Guard. By Friday noon, they were officially in charge of building security at the building near Wilshire and Sepulveda Boulevards.

There are 700 Marines and up to 4,000 National Guard troops in this unusual mission. President Donald Trump called them up earlier in June. Sherman made it clear that none of the military members will be directly involved with law enforcement. Instead, they are responsible for protecting government buildings and ensuring the safety of police officers.

Sherman made it clear that the purpose of the troops' crowd control gear is not to hold or arrest protesters, but to use it to protect and build physical barriers.

The troops are also receiving logistical support, including food, shelter, and hygiene services. More Marines are ready in case the operation grows.

Advocates for the law and the military have pointed out that sending Marines trained for battle on missions within the United States is not a common practice. Marines were last used in Los Angeles to deal with social unrest in 1992, during the Rodney King riots. Sherman said that Marine Corps legal teams carefully reviewed rules on the use of force and crowd control to ensure they were in line with federal law and de-escalation procedures.

Officials hope that the presence of the troops will stop violence and let peaceful protests go on as planned, while the protests continue.