Here is what the Navies and the National Guard can (and cannot) do during demonstrations of the
US Northern Command, which oversees military support for non -military authorities in the 48 contiguous states, said on Friday that the Marines would not carry out “arrests” but are allowed to “temporarily keep” people in “specific circumstances” until the police arrive to do a official Stop. Clarification follows the emergence of a video showing navies to holding it a civilian with plastic handcuffs before waiting for the police – the first known example of such an action during the current deployment.
There are many other scenarios in which soldiers can provide assistance to the police, in particular by giving them “information” obtained “in the normal course” of their functions, unless the laws applicable in matters of confidentiality prohibit them. The military can also provide the police with a wide variety of assistance as long as they are in “private capacity” and they are out of service. In addition, they can provide “expert advice”, as long as it does not count as serving a core of function at the work of the civil police.
The Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comments; However, a member of the staff of the Defense Subsecretaire’s office for the policy has confirmed for thread by telephone all current policies under which federal troops deployed must operate.
There is a major warning of army restrictions. During an “extraordinary emergency”, military commanders can take limited and immediate measures to prevent mass destruction or to restore critical public services, but only as long as presidential approval is “impossible” to obtain in advance. And while the military is naturally supposed to maintain order and discipline at any time, they are in no way required to withdraw when their lives or the life of others are in immediate danger.
However, the application of these rules in the field is far from guaranteed. Legal experts warn that membership often varies in chaotic environments. Trump administration officials have also demonstrated a desire to get around the law. Last week, the secretary of internal security, Kristi Noem, asked the Pentagon to authorize military aid to carry out arrests and deploy the surveillance of drones, according to a letter obtained by the Chronicle of San Francisco – a move according to permanent legal prohibitions.
At a press conference on Thursday, Noem said that the federal government was on a mission to “release” Los Angeles of the “socialists” and the “management” of the governor of California Gavin Newsom and the mayor of Los Angeles Karen Bass. The American senator Alex Padilla, who represents the citizens of California, was forcibly removed from the press conference after trying to question Noem. Outside the press conference room, the federal agents forced the senator on the ground, where he was temporarily placed in the handcuffs.
Unlike the National Guard, which is well trained for the control of domestic crowds, the navies in active service generally receive relatively few instructions to manage civil disorders. Those who generally belong to the military police or specialized security units. Nevertheless, the Marine Corps has published online images showing various working groups that train with tactics of control of riots and “non -lethal” weapons. Constitutional concerns do not occur, however, when the Navies face foreign crowds, as in civil zones during the Afghanistan War or on rare occasions, the demonstrators violated the perimeter of an Embassy of the United States. And the rules of warning in time are much more indulgent than the rules of strength by which the Navies must adhere to the national level.
In a statement on Wednesday, the Northern Command confirmed that the Marines had undergone training in all the “essential tasks of the mission”, in particular “de -escalation” and “crowd control”. They would be accompanied by legal experts and the application of the law.
Constitutional experts warn that the deployment of military forces against civilian demonstrators blurs the border between the police and military power, which could establish a precedent dangerous for the uncontrolled presidential authority. The risk is deepened, they say, if the federal troops exceed their legal limits.
If the lines are crossed, this could open a door that may not close easily – enclosed the way for future repressions that erude civil liberties harshly won of the Americans.
Updated at 7:40 p.m. June 2025: This story has been updated to include details on the first arrest known in 2025 of a demonstrator by the American Marines.
