Sens in the United States. AlexPadilla and Adam Schiff have sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth asking for detailed criticism of military deployment to Los Angeles in the city’s recent immigration enforcement protests.
Two California Democrats wrote Monday they want to know how the thousands of National Guard and U.S. Marines use it specifically, whether and how they engage in any law enforcement activities and how much the deployment has cost taxpayers so far.
The deployment was conducted against Gavin Newsom, stretching objections from Karen Bass and other local officials and sparked a state lawsuit that claimed they were illegal. The letter came hours after a federal judge agreed to the state Padilla and Schiff both cheered and thrilled in Tuesday’s ruling.
Padilla and Schiff wrote that deployment is unnecessary, and greater detail is needed given similar actions currently launched or threatened in other U.S. cities.
“It is still inappropriate to use the U.S. military to assist or otherwise support immigration operations, which may violate the law and be harmful to the relationship between the U.S. public and the U.S. military,” they wrote.
The Defense Department declined to comment on the Times letter, saying it would “respond directly” to Padilla and Schiff.
President Trump orders the federal government about 4,100 National Guard In California in June, protests broke out in Los Angeles. About 700 Marines were also deployed to the city. Most of the troops have since left, but Padilla and Schiff said 300 guards are still activated.
Trump, Hergers and other administration leaders have previously restored laws and orders in Los Angeles as needed to defend federal buildings and protect federal immigration agents for their deployment in the event of immigration attacks on local communities opposing such enforcement efforts.
As the deployment began in June, the inquiry from members of Congress was that Heggs and other defense officials estimated that the mission would last 60 days, while basic necessities such as travel to troops, housing and food would cost about $134 million. However, as operations continue, the government has not provided updated details.
Padilla and Schiff demanded targets the number of California Guards and Marines deployed to Los Angeles, as well as the troops they drew from and whether any out-of-state guards were brought in.
Senators asked to describe the “specific tasks” performed by different units deployed to the city, as well as a breakdown of military personnel directly supporting the Homeland Security Forces, including immigration and customs law enforcement personnel. They also asked which units assigned to provide security at federal sites or “on standby outside the protest or immigration enforcement areas.”
They ask for “number of times and related details in any case [Defense] Personnel arrest, detain any individual, otherwise exercise law enforcement agencies, or exercise deadly force during the operation. ”
They also request that the total cost of all work be handed over to the Department of Defense and break down the cost by operation, maintenance, personnel or other accounts, and ask if any funds used in the operation have been transferred from other plans.
Padilla and Schiff requested information from the Ministry of Defense by September 12.
Unless it is “expressedly authorized by the Congressional Constitution or Act,” the law prohibits the use of military personnel to enforce the law on U.S. soil under the POSSE COMITATUS Act. The law of 1878 applied to the United States Marine Corps and defended those federalized forces like Los Angeles.
In the lawsuit, California believes that the deployment violates the POSSE COMITATUS Act. In response, the Trump administration argues that the president has the legal power to deploy federal forces to protect federal property and personnel, such as ICE agents.
A federal judge ruled the state on Tuesday that the deployment did violate the POSSE COMITATUS Act. The judge put his ban on hold for 10 days and the Trump administration is expected to appeal.
Schiff said Trump’s goal was “not to ensure safety, but to create a wonder” and the ruling confirmed that the actions were “illegal and unreasonable.”
Padilla said the ruling “confirms what we have always known: Trump has violated the law and aimed at turning service members into his own national police force.”
