President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan argued Monday that it was necessary to deploy hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles to quell immigration protests that are happening in the city – despite local officials saying it’s unclear why they are there or what they are doing.
“Yes, it all depends on the activities of these protesters – I mean, they make the decisions. I keep hearing reports that they’re rioting because President Trump sent National Guard here, it’s just ridiculous,” Homan told CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
“We don’t know what’s going to happen tonight – it seems like at night, the crowds get bigger, the violence peaks. So, we want to be ahead of the game. We’ll be well prepared for the military here to protect government property and protect officers’ lives,” he said.
Homan declined to say what standard the Trump administration was using to decide if mobilizing the Marines would be necessary.
“They’re not reinforcing immigration law – we’re doing that, we’re immigration officers,” Homan said. “Their job is protection of property and protection of our agents and their lives and their wellbeing, along with the public’s wellbeing.”
Over the weekend, Trump became the first president in decades to call in the National Guard without a request from a governor – doing so without invoking the Insurrection Act, the 1807 law that allows the president to deploy American soldiers to police US streets in extreme circumstances. Trump ordered the Department of Defense to deploy an additional 2,000 California National Guard members to the Los Angeles area on Monday evening, according to the Pentagon.
On Monday, the administration mobilized more than 700 Marines based out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in California to respond to the protests in Los Angeles.
Homan said that there are conversations “every day” within the administration about deploying military domestically, but he said he has not been personally involved in conversations about invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow for the use active-duty military to quell protests.
“No – again, I’m here running a Title 8 immigration operation, I was – I’m not involved in discussions, but I do know every day a conversation happens with the leadership of DOJ, DHS, and DOD on a decision going forward,” he said. “I think decisions on deployment of the National Guard and any other deployment of DOD is a decision being made by the White House, along with the Department of Justice, DOD – I know those calls are happening every day.”
But pressed if Americans should expect to see military deployed to other US cities where protests against ICE operations pop up, the border czar said, “I hope not.”
“I hope it’s not the new normal – I hope people go out there and protest peacefully, but to attack law enforcement officers who are simply enforcing the laws that Congress enacted,” he said. “So, if you want to hate, you want to protest, go to Congress and protest them. ICE is just doing their job.”
Homan also acknowledged that Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom has not done anything to warrant arrest after Trump said if he were Homan, he would have him arrested.
“Governor Newsom has not done anything to warrant an arrest in your view right now, correct?” Collins asked.
“Not at this time – absolutely not,” he said.
Homan told CNN that Immigration and Customs Enforcement will continue operations in Los Angeles – and across the country – to enforce immigration law.
“They’ll continue every day, not only in California, Los Angeles, they’re gonna continue every city across the country – we have teams throughout the country that are out there looking for those in the country,” Homan said. “We’re in every city and country, and ICE is going to be out every single day and will continue to be there regardless what’s happening in LA.”
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