(Hill) – Last week, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses allowed the mobilization of up to 700 troops to support federal immigration officials in Florida, Louisiana and Texas.
“These service members will be drawn from all components, operated with a mandatory title 10 status, provide logistics support and implement administrative and administrative functions related to the disposal of illegal aliens in ice detention facilities,” the authorities wrote in a press release.
“They don’t take part in law enforcement activities directly,” he added.
Title 10 of the US Code provides an overview of the military structure and scope, including the president’s authority to federate state national security units in certain circumstances, such as rebellions.
President Trump and Hegses cited the same forces in mobilizing up to 700 Marines to assist California ice agents.
The Secretary of Defense was repeatedly asked at a Congressional hearing last week about the need to deploy troops in Los Angeles.
“Threatening to use our own military with our own citizens on such a scale is unprecedented, unconstitutional and not American at all,” Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) told Hegseth.
He repeatedly said that the military meets the constitutionally permitted role in protecting federal law enforcement.
California sued the administration over what it called federal overreach, but Gavin Newsom (D) warned that precedents could quickly expand to other states.
A group of retired generals and former civilian military chiefs filed an Amicus brief on Sunday as a legal battle took place in federal court.
“While the President has a right to criticize his opponents politically, involving the military in political debates within the country risks eroding the ability of the military to recruit and retain military personnel, and undermining its core capabilities of protecting the country in order to gain widespread public support for budgets and programs.”
“That’s why the military should be locked out of domestic law enforcement whenever possible,” the group added.
The hill asked the Pentagon for details on the latest order.
“In maintaining US sovereignty, territorial integrity and security, the Department of Defense works alongside the Department of Homeland Security, the federal government’s key agency in this important effort,” the Pentagon said in a press release Tuesday.
“This support provides important resources to support the ICE mission and frees law enforcement staff and focuses on law enforcement tasks and missions,” he added. “The department remains committed to ensuring operational management of 100% of the border.”
The news comes after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said the state’s National Guard was ready to “ensure peace and order” in a protest against Trump’s immigration crackdown that spreads beyond California.
