A spokesperson with the command responsible for the federalized forces deployed in the Los Angeles area by the Trump administration in the wake of recent immigration enforcement protests clarified on Wednesday, June 18, that the number of troops in the Southern California area remains at 4,800 — 4,100 Army National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines.
An update released by the U.S. Northern Command on Tuesday, June 17, announcing that 2,000 troops in the deployment came from the 49th Military Police Brigade, led to some media outlets reporting that additional guardsmen had been deployed, the spokesman said. But there have been no additional troops allocated beyond those announced last week by Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, who is commanding the task force.
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The military police brigade is with the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team and the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, under the direction of Task Force 51. The brigade will not directly participate in civilian law enforcement activities, the spokesperson said. The activation of the 49th is intended to provide Task Force 51 with adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency, he said.
“Our (information) yesterday was just to identify the unit making up the last 2,000,” the spokesperson said, adding that the number had been at 4,800 for a week, but officials had never identified specifically from what unit those guardsmen came. “The information was a little confusing, but that 2,000 has already been working down there.”
All of the 4,800 — including 700 active-duty Marines — are in Southern California, the spokesperson said. But not all are in the immediate Los Angeles area. They are all serving under Sherman’s orders, but are not serving in the same capacity.
The administration is using Title 10 of the federal code to federalize the state’s National Guard, though whether the current situation is an appropriate use is being argued in a federal appeals court this week. Here is a little bit more about Title 10 and the deployment in Southern California.
Question: What is Title 10?
Answer: Title 10 is the U.S. code outlining the structure, roles and missions of U.S. forces. It also gives the legal framework for the organization and operation of the Department of Defense and all the service branches, including the reserve units. Under Title 10, all the troops that have been included in the task force report to an active-duty chain of command.
Q. What are the federalized forces doing?
A. Officials say the troops are protecting federal personnel, property and functions in the greater Los Angeles area, including Orange County. They can and have accompanied federal officials conducting law enforcement activities, but they do not perform law enforcement functions. In the conduct of their protection mission, the troops can temporarily detain someone, but the timeframe for detention is the amount of time it would take to transfer the person to a law enforcement official safely. They do not directly participate in any law enforcement activity, officials have said.
Q. Where are the troops from?
A. The California National Guard soldiers are members of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat and the 49th Military Police Brigade. The infantry Marines are with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, based at Marine Air Ground Combat Station Twentynine Palms.
Not all troops are in Los Angeles; some are receiving training nearby in de-escalation and crowd control. On June 13, 200 Marines were sent to safeguard the Wilshire Federal Building.
Northern Command officials would not discuss locations or clarify the number of personnel in any specific location because of operational security concerns.
Q. Where are the main protests taking place?
A. The protests have been concentrated in a few blocks downtown near City Hall and a federal detention center.