U.S. Marines deployed to Los Angeles on Friday for the first time detained a civilian as part of a protest against federal immigration raids, U.S. Northern Command (Northcom) confirmed to The Hill.
The Marines “temporarily detained a civilian earlier today,” Northcom said in a statement, adding that forces may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances under Title 10.
“The temporary detention ends immediately when the individual(s) can be safely transferred to the custody of appropriate civilian law enforcement personnel,” the statement noted.
The incident reportedly took place at the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, where Marines earlier on Friday were charged with protecting the building.
Images circulated on social media showed Marines apprehending a man with his hands zip-tied behind his back
Reuters reported that the man, identified as Marcos Leao, 27, was handed over to civilians from the Department of Homeland Security.
Marcos, an Army veteran, told reporters that he was on his way to an office of the Department of Veterans Affairs when he crossed a yellow tape boundary and was asked to stop.
Around 200 Marines armed with rifles, riot control equipment and gas masks have been deployed to the streets of Los Angeles to join the more than 2,000 California National Guard troops already there. The service members, tasked with protecting federal property and personnel, will be joined by an additional 500 Marines and 2,000 Guard soldiers meant to accompany ICE agents on raids, according to officials.
While the troops are authorized to detain people, they are not allowed to arrest them, as the Posse Comitatus Act largely forbids the U.S. military from taking part in civilian law enforcement.
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