The Department of Homeland Security confirmed this week that National Guard troops deployed in Los Angeles have been authorized to temporarily detain individuals who attack Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents or other federal personnel during ongoing enforcement operations, as reported by Fox News.
The authorization comes amid escalating unrest in the city, where protests and riots against ICE activities have continued.
President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of approximately 4,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to support federal law enforcement and ensure public safety during the ongoing anti-ICE demonstrations.
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DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Axios that the troops have the legal authority to act in defense of ICE officers.
“If any rioters attack ICE law enforcement officers, military personnel have the authority to temporarily detain them until law enforcement makes the arrest,” McLaughlin stated.
Major General Scott Sherman told the Associated Press on Wednesday that National Guard personnel are working to support, not replace, law enforcement. He said that around 500 troops have received training to assist ICE agents and that their role is primarily security-based.
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According to Sherman, while National Guard troops have detained individuals during the riots, they do not conduct arrests themselves and only hold violent agitators until law enforcement officers arrive to take them into custody.
Images released by immigration officials show National Guard soldiers providing direct security support to DHS agents as they conduct immigration enforcement operations in and around Los Angeles.
Sherman added that while there were multiple temporary detentions in the early stages of the operation, the number has since declined as the situation on the ground has begun to stabilize.
The deployment has reignited political tensions between the Trump administration and California leadership.
Governor Gavin Newsom has strongly criticized the decision to utilize National Guard troops in the state, claiming that the federal government "commandeered" 2,000 members of California’s National Guard without coordinating with state officials.
The Trump administration has maintained that the deployment is lawful and necessary.
Federal officials have reiterated that the goal of the ongoing immigration operations is to apprehend “criminal illegal immigrant killers, rapists, gangbangers, drug dealers, human traffickers and domestic abusers.”
Despite pushback from California officials, DHS officials say the operations will continue, and the National Guard will remain on hand to ensure that federal agents can carry out their duties without interference or violence.
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