Latest news with #InsurrectionAct
Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oath Keepers Founder Pardoned By Trump Warns Of ‘Trouble' Over Lack Of Epstein Files
The founder of a violent militia group who was pardoned for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack by President Donald Trump, warned that Trump faces 'trouble' over not releasing documents related to the Jeffrey Epstein case. Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right group the Oath Keepers, has joined a growing chorus of MAGA voices who have expressed anger that Trump hasn't released more information about Epstein, the disgraced financier who killed himself in 2019 before he was set to face trial for sex crimes. 'I believe 90% of his own base understands that Epstein was up to something and we know that's the tip of the iceberg,' Rhodes told a crowd at a Comfort Inn in Texas last week, the Daily Beast first reported on Tuesday. Rhodes was referring to Attorney General Pam Bondi's announcement earlier this month that documents related to Epstein ― including potential information on his co-conspirators ― don't exist. Trump, a longtime friend of Epstein, has blamed Democrats over what he calls a 'hoax.' 'It's really disheartening to see President Trump just declare that to be a hoax,' Rhodes said. 'I don't think it is. And I think it's going to cause him trouble in his own base. It already is.' Rhodes was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the Jan. 6 attack and was pardoned by Trump along with more than 1,500 other rioters. Rhodes and his fellow Oath Keepers had planned to stop Congress from certifying Joe Biden's election by any means necessary, including using an arsenal of guns that they brought from across the country if Trump had invoked the Insurrection Act that day. Trump falsely claimed his poll numbers have 'gone up, significantly' following the lack of Epstein files. 'My Poll Numbers within the Republican Party, and MAGA, have gone up, significantly, since the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax was exposed by the Radical Left Democrats and, just plain 'troublemakers,'' Trump wrote Sunday on his social media platform Truth Social. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) canceled upcoming House votes on Tuesday and is sending lawmakers home early for a five-week recess to block a bipartisan effort to force a vote on releasing files on Epstein. On Tuesday, Trump again downplayed his role with Epstein. 'We had the Greatest Six Months of any President in the History of our Country, and all the Fake News wants to talk about is the Jeffrey Epstein Hoax!' Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Business Insider
6 days ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
What are hundreds of Marines still doing in LA? Not much.
Half of the 4,000-strong California National Guard force deployed by President Donald Trump to Los Angeles a month ago is returning home, but 700 Marines are set to remain. As protests quickly quieted, Marines appear to now be guarding buildings that don't require such a forceful presence, leading to a lot of hanging around. Officials say their mission is mainly just "being present." The Marines, who arrived in LA under Trump's orders amid objections from California's governor, Gavin Newsom, will continue to stand guard at three buildings — the Wilshire Federal Building, which houses the LA FBI and Veterans Affairs offices, a courthouse, and the LA Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters building. US Northern Command confirmed to BI on Wednesday that the mission hasn't changed since the Marines first arrived. Some of those Marines, recent arrivals who took over for teammates who showed up in June, are suffering a blow to morale, with some feeling the work isn't what they joined the military for, according to a senior Marine official with knowledge of the deployment. The Pentagon did not respond to request for comment. Such duties are far outside the norm for Marines who do not possess the same legal authorities as National Guard troops, which may conduct law enforcement within the US, though almost always at the request of their state's governor. Active-duty troops, like the Marines in LA, are barred by law from doing so, short of the president invoking the Insurrection Act. "Their purpose is really just being a presence that is very much out in the open, showcasing kind of who they are, what they do," said the senior Marine official, who spoke to Business Insider on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the press. A second Marine source confirmed that Marines continue to guard the buildings, adding those stationed at the Wilshire Federal Building are dispersed at vehicle and pedestrian entry points and patrol the building's perimeter, a fairly routine task infantry personnel perform that could be seen as an opportunity to practice the skills in a delicate environment. "There's nothing going on," said the second Marine of the atmosphere in LA after protests formed last month in response to ICE raids targeting immigrants, often without criminal histories. Other news reports have indicated that the Marines and Guardsmen remaining in LA are fighting boredom and public contempt. Marines train for a variety of war-related tasks, which do not include anything similar to how Marines are being used in LA, the senior official said. "And I think that certainly has a degree of degradation of morale." Infantry units like the 7th Marine Regiment in LA are trained in the Corps' most fundamental mission— locating, closing with, and destroying the enemy by a mix of fire and maneuver, Joe Plenzer, a retired Marine infantry officer, told Business Insider last month. "Beneath the Kevlar, the eye-pro, if you see a face, the face is probably, you know, a little bit of disappointment, a little bit of 'this is not what I signed up for,'" said the senior official. "And by a little bit, I mean a lot of it." "Let's be honest, too, there's a percentage of our Marines that are coming from backgrounds where their immediate family members are at risk of getting deported from ICE," the senior official said. The service— which has the highest percentage of Hispanic troops compared to the other services, nearly 26% in 2022 — has found itself wrestling with new immigration enforcement policies on multiple fronts. The father of three US Marines, brutally beaten and detained by ICE agents, was released from custody earlier this week following efforts from his sons and other advocates, according to a report from Although active-duty Marines are generally barred from participating in domestic law enforcement, they are permitted to support the civilian agencies. The Marines, though made for a very different mission, appear to be supporting ICE more frequently. The Pentagon ordered 200 air-support Marines to Florida earlier this month to assist with administrative oversight at ICE detention centers there. And the Corps appears to be the first and only service with a pilot program in place with ICE at three bases to ostensibly guard against access by foreign personnel, according to Deepening ties with ICE in Florida and at the three bases, as well as the deployment to LA, could be taking a toll on Marines worried about their families, the senior official said. "What do you think that does to them?" they said of Marines who may have family members who immigrated illegally. There could be a notable effect, they suggested, "not only morale, but just like, in terms of their ethics and their values." "My hope is that they're quickly relieved of being in that position," he continued. "And it's no longer a thing."
Los Angeles Times
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Los Angeles Times
Stunts in L.A. show Democratic states and cities that Trump's forces can invade anytime
Early this month, the U.S. military and masked federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement and from Customs and Border Protection invaded a park near downtown Los Angeles — ironically, a park named after Gen. Douglas MacArthur. They came ready for battle, dressed in tactical gear and camouflage, with some arriving on horseback, while others rolled in on armored vehicles or patrolled above in Black Hawk helicopters. Although the invasion force failed to capture anyone, it did succeed in liberating the park from a group of children participating in a summer camp. The MacArthur Park operation sounds like a scene from 'South Park,' but it really did happen — and its implications are terrifying. As Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol agent in charge, said to Fox News: 'Better get used to us now, 'cause this is going to be normal very soon. We will go anywhere, anytime we want in Los Angeles.' And President Trump is sending the same message to every Democratic governor and mayor in America who dares oppose him. He will send heavily armed federal forces wherever he wants, whenever he wants and for any reason. The United States stands at the threshold of an authoritarian breakthrough, and Congress and the courts have given Trump a lot of tools. He's learned from Jan. 6, 2021, that he needs tight control over the 'guys with the guns,' as retired Joint Chiefs Chairman Mark Milley put it. And that's what he got when Congress dutifully confirmed Trump loyalists to lead all of the 'power ministries' — the military, the FBI and the Department of Justice, the rest of the intelligence community and the Department of Homeland Security. As commander in chief, the president can deploy troops and, under Title 10, he can also put National Guard troops under his command — even against the wishes of local officials. Gov. Gavin Newsom challenged the legality of Trump's exercise of this authority in Los Angeles last month, and we will see what the courts say — but based on its initial rulings, the Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit appears likely to defer to the president. Under the Posse Comitatus Act, the troops cannot currently enforce laws, but Trump could change that by invoking the Insurrection Act, and we have to assume that the current Supreme Court would defer to him on that as well, following long-standing precedents saying the president's power under the act is 'conclusive.' Trump could send the military into other cities, but the most dangerous weapon in his authoritarian arsenal might be the newly empowered Department of Homeland Security, which has been given $170 billion by Congress to triple the size of ICE and double its detention capacity. No doubt, this will put Trump's 'mass deportation' into overdrive, but this is not just about immigration. Remember Portland in 2020, when Trump sent Border Patrol agents into the city? Against the wishes of the Oregon governor and the Portland mayor, the president deployed agents to protect federal buildings and suppress unrest after the killing of George Floyd. Under the Homeland Security Act, the secretary can designate any employee of the department to assist the Federal Protective Service in safeguarding government property and carrying out 'such other activities for the promotion of homeland security as the Secretary may prescribe.' Under that law, DHS officers can also make arrests, on and off of federal property, for 'any offense against the United States.' This is why, in 2020, Border Patrol agents — dressed like soldiers and equipped with M-4 semi-automatic rifles — were able to rove around Portland in unmarked black SUVs and arrest people off the streets anywhere in the city. Trump could do this again anywhere in the country, and with the billions Congress has given to immigration and border agencies, DHS could assemble and deploy a formidable federal paramilitary force wherever and whenever Trump wishes. Of course, under the 4th Amendment, officers need to have at least reasonable suspicion based on specific, articulable facts before they can stop and question someone, and probable cause before they arrest. And on Friday, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong issued a temporary restraining order blocking ICE and Customs and Border Protection from making such stops without reasonable suspicion, and further holding that this could not be based on apparent race or ethnicity; speaking Spanish or speaking English with an accent; presence at a particular location, such as a Home Depot parking lot; or the type of work a person does. This ruling could end up providing an important constitutional restraint on these agencies, but we shall see. The Trump administration has appealed the ruling. However, this litigation proceeds, it is important to note that the DHS agencies are not like the FBI, with its buttoned-down, by-the-book culture drilled into it historically and in response to the revelations of J. Edgar Hoover's abuses of power. DHS and its agencies have no such baggage, and they clearly have been pushing the envelope in Los Angeles — sometimes brutally — over the last month. And even if Frimpong's ruling stands up on appeal, ICE and Customs and Border Protection will no doubt adapt by training their officers to articulate other justifications for stopping people on the street or in workplaces. Ultimately, these agencies are used to operating near the border, where, in the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist's words, the federal government's power is 'at its zenith,' and where there are far fewer constitutional constraints on their actions. These are the tools at Trump's disposal — and as DHS rushes to hire thousands of agents and build the detention facilities Congress just paid for, these tools will only become more formidable. And one should anticipate that Trump will want to deploy the DHS paramilitary forces to 'protect' the 2026 or 2028 elections, alongside federal troops, in the same way they worked together to capture MacArthur Park. A fanciful, dystopian scenario? Maybe, but who or what would stop it from happening? Congress does not seem willing to stand up to the president — and while individual federal judges might, the Supreme Court seems more likely to defer to him, especially on issues concerning national security or immigration. So, in the words of Bruce Springsteen, 'the last check on power, after the checks and balances of government have failed, are the people, you and me.' Suit up. Seth Stodder served in the Obama administration as assistant secretary of Homeland Security for borders, immigration and trade and previously as assistant secretary for threat prevention and security. He teaches national security and counterterrorism law at USC Law School.
The Star
13-07-2025
- Politics
- The Star
Inside Trump's border military zone
THE weapons system atop a drab green US Army Stryker swivels, its camera locking on a white Ford F-150 crawling along the US-Mexico border. Under the gaze of the 26-tonne armoured vehicle perched on a sand dune, humanitarian volunteers cruise the dirt road beside the border wall, hoping to continue their search for migrant remains in one of two new military zones established by the Trump administration. Their hopes are short-lived. An unmarked grey pickup appears, spins around in the sand, flashes a siren. A US Border Patrol agent steps out and tells them they're no longer allowed there. James Holman, founder of Battalion Search and Rescue – whose volunteers also hand water through the bars of the barrier to migrants – complies, but fumes. 'We're ramping up all this military and taking this public land away,' says Holman, 59, a former Marine. 'It doesn't make sense, and it's theatre – deadly, deadly theatre.' They are inside one of two 'National Defence Areas' created along 418km of the southern border in New Mexico and Texas, part of Trump's effort to deploy active-duty troops for border enforcement – a mission traditionally handled by Border Patrol. The military zones are classified as US Army installations. Troops can now temporarily detain and question migrants or civilians caught inside, a shift towards military policing without invoking the Insurrection Act. The Army has not disclosed exact boundaries, but in New Mexico the zone appears to stretch nearly 5km inland, according to 'restricted area' signs posted along State Road 9. Within the zones, signs are posted every 100m, about 15m north of the barrier – meaning migrants read them only after crossing. Yet, crossing here now carries new risks: trespassing charges on top of unlawful entry, with penalties of up to 10 years in prison. But early attempts to prosecute have largely failed. Since May, federal judges in Texas and New Mexico have dismissed trespass charges, including one case involving a Peruvian woman, ruling there was no proof the migrants saw the signs before entering. Despite this, Trump insists the military zones are necessary to repel an 'invasion' of traffickers and smugglers, even though illegal crossings are at historic lows following a 2024 asylum crackdown and tighter immigration controls in Mexico. A US Army soldier using binoculars while riding a Stryker armoured vehicle at the US-Mexico border. — Reuters Border buildup Since March, Trump has more than tripled active-duty troop levels along the border – from 2,500 under Biden to 8,000, according to the US Army. Earlier this year, the Bureau of Land Management transferred 44,500ha of public land – seven times the size of Manhattan – to the Army to create the first zone. In May, a second was added using land from the International Boundary and Water Commission in Texas. These areas now function as satellites of Fort Huachuca in Arizona and Fort Bliss in Texas. Deployed units include around 2,400 troops and 105 Stryker armoured vehicles from the 4th Infantry Division in Colorado. The eight-wheeled Strykers – seen in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Ukraine – now patrol stretches from El Paso to Santa Teresa, one of the border's deadliest crossing zones. Parked beneath bridges, beside landfills, or overlooking gaps in the wall, their engines hum 24/7 in the 38°C heat to cool crews. Soldiers are unarmed, but carry personal weapons and operate long-range cameras with night vision. 'Monotonous,' one insider said – but it gives soldiers 'a sense of purpose'. According to Army figures, troops have alerted Border Patrol to 390 crossings since the first zone was created, and made their first detentions in June, handing three migrants over in New Mexico. A different kind of line Locals are divided. In Sunland Park, Harold Gregory says fewer migrants now enter his juice bar or ask customers for rides. 'We feel safer,' he says. 'They do kind of intimidate.' But nearby, in Santa Teresa, trade consultant Jerry Pacheco calls the buildup overkill. 'It's like killing an ant with a sledgehammer,' he says. 'It's more of a political splash.' In rural New Mexico, rancher Russell Johnson welcomes the zone, citing cattle thefts and drug smuggling. But even he is unsure if his home or ranch – in his family since 1918 – lies inside it. 'I don't know, I don't think anyone knows,' says Johnson, a former Border Patrol agent. The Army is negotiating memoranda of understanding with local authorities to allow hunting, ranching and mining to continue. 'The MOU process is complex,' Army spokesman Nicole Wieman said. Jenifer Jones, a Republican state lawmaker, insists residents can carry on as before. But in Las Cruces, Democrat Sarah Silva calls it 'an occupation' by the US Army. Vanishing remains West of Santa Teresa, Abbey Carpenter, 67, stands among sand dunes where her group has found 24 migrant remains in 18 months – mostly women. She fears the military zone will block future searches. 'Who's going to look for these remains if we're not allowed out here?' she asks, gesturing to a woman's jawbone reported to authorities months ago. 'Will they just be covered up by the desert sands?' — Reuters
30-06-2025
- Politics
Military requesting to pull 200 troops back from California protest duty
WASHINGTON -- The top military commander in charge of troops deployed to Los Angeles to respond to protests against immigration raids has asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth if 200 of those forces could be returned to wildfire fighting duty, two U.S. officials told The Associated Press on Monday. President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of about 4,000 California National Guard troops and 800 active duty Marines against the wishes of Gov. Gavin Newsom in early June to respond to a series of protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles. The federal troops' domestic deployment raised multiple legal questions, including whether the administration would seek to employ emergency powers under the Insurrection Act to empower those forces to conduct law enforcement on U.S. soil, which they are not permitted to do except in rare circumstances. The Marines, however, are primarily assigned to protecting federal buildings. The Insurrection Act has not been used. But in at least one circumstance, Marines have temporarily detained civilians in Los Angeles. California has just entered peak wildfire season, and Newsom has warned that the Guard is now understaffed due to the Los Angeles protest deployment. The top military commander of those troops, U.S. Northern Command head Gen. Gregory Guillot, recently submitted a request to Hegseth to return 200 of the National Guard troops back to Joint Task Force Rattlesnake, which is the California National Guard's wildfire unit, the officials said. The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity to provide details not yet announced publicly. Trump has contended that 'there has been an invasion' of migrants entering the country without legal permission. At the height of the deployments some members of Congress in their annual budget hearings with the secretary questioned whether he foresaw extending the deployment nationwide, Hegseth did not provide a direct response. The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, at the time told the lawmakers 'I don't see any foreign, state-sponsored folks invading, but I'll be mindful of the fact that there have been some border issues.'
