Marines deployed to Los Angeles detained a civilian on Friday, the first known incident by active-duty troops since being sent to California by President Donald Trump.
According to Reuters, which captured the scene, the civilian identified himself to reporters as Marcos Leao, 27. He said he was an Army veteran going to the Department of Veterans Affairs at the Wilshire Federal Building in the city. On the way, he crossed a yellow tape boundary and was asked to stop. He said he was treated “fairly.”
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The U.S. military’s Northern Command spokesperson said active duty forces “may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances.”
“Any temporary detention ends immediately when the individual(s) can be safely transferred to the custody of appropriate civilian law enforcement personnel,” a spokesperson told the outlet.
Military personnel are allowed to detain people who pose a threat to federal personnel or property, but only until local law enforcement can arrest them. Military officials cannot, by law, make arrests as the Posse Comitatus Act generally bars the military, including the National Guard, from taking part in law enforcement duties.
LA IMMIGRATION RIOTS: WHAT TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROTESTS, TRUMP’S RESPONSE, AND MORE
Trump deployed roughly 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to the city earlier this week in response to protests over raids executed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Most demonstrations have been peaceful, but some grew chaotic over the weekend.
An overnight curfew was imposed on Tuesday in the square-mile radius of the protest area. Since then, protests have drastically reduced in size.