Republican senators generally back President Trump’s strong stance against protests related to his administration’s deportation efforts, although there’s some uncertainty regarding the deployment of 700 active-duty Marines in California.
There’s a belief in the Trump administration that a confrontation with California Governor Gavin Newsom over illegal immigration could be politically favorable for the president.
Nonetheless, some GOP lawmakers express concerns about the potential for clashes spilling into other cities, and the possibility of Trump invoking the 1807 Rebellion Act worries them.
While the GOP is unified on the need for a strong response to protests, there’s hesitancy surrounding the military involvement.
Senate Budget Committee Chair Assan Collins (R-Maine), facing reelection in states where Trump previously lost to Biden, cited the violence against law enforcement and the property damage as unacceptable, insisting on a robust reaction.
However, she expressed serious reservations about deploying active-duty troops for law enforcement, saying, “I don’t agree with the president’s decision to do that,” even as she supported calling in the National Guard without local consent.
Collins reasoned that, whether faced with a disaster or a weather emergency, it makes sense to utilize the National Guard, which has experience in those situations. Yet, she added that sending in active Marines is not the solution.
She noted, “I think it puts them in a very difficult position.”
Senator Minecround (Rs.D.), who sits on the Armed Services Committee, hopes for more level-headedness from both political sides as deportation efforts proceed. He expressed a desire to avoid violent confrontations and property destruction elsewhere.
“Hopefully it won’t happen, and cooler heads have prevailed in the past,” he remarked. “There’s an individual creating the scene. [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] should just do their job.”
Both Senate Armed Services Committee Chair Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and Senator Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) chose not to comment on the Marine deployment situation.
A recent YouGov poll of 4,309 US adults revealed that only 34% supported Trump’s decision to send Marines to Los Angeles, while 47% disapproved.
Senate majority leader John Thune (Rs.D.) defended Trump’s choice to mobilize 4,000 California State Guard members for peacekeeping in Los Angeles but distanced himself from the decision to deploy active-duty Marines.
He remarked, “I’m not familiar with the specifics about the authorities involved, but I assume the administration is carefully evaluating what can be done legally.” This points to the alien enemy act of 1798, which allows for the detention of citizens from enemy states during war or invasion.
Thune justified the National Guard deployment due to local governments’ failures to manage property destruction and violence. He stated, “In this case, the president needs a federal response because some state and local officials have made clear errors.” He emphasized that the president’s goal is to ensure people’s safety.
In contrast, Newsom accused Trump of “deliberately causing chaos” with the troop mobilization, while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass labeled it “completely unnecessary” since the police department was capable of managing the protests.
The deployment of active-duty troops raises questions in Congress about the invocation of the Rebellion Act of 1807, which Trump referenced earlier this year to potentially take operational control of the southern border.
During his first term, White House aides had prepared a declaration allowing the president to deploy active troops in Washington, D.C. in response to protests following George Floyd’s murder.
Trump maintained in the New York Times that he could “send the army,” despite pushback from Senator Tom Cotton (R-ARK).
Marine Corps Commander General Eric Smith informed Republican senators that the 700 Marines were assigned to protect federal property and were trained in crowd control, with no arrest authority.
Round explained that Trump was acting under Title 10 of US law, often referred to as the Rebellion Act. He noted, “They are there protecting federal government buildings and fellow service members, similar to their roles at embassies around the world.”
He differentiated between the Marines and the National Guard, alluding to the California State Guard’s cooperation with Trump while stating the federal government was “invigorated” under Title 10.
Round asserted that invoking the Rebellion Act had not been part of their discussions and acknowledged its availability to Trump, mentioning, “But right now, it’s not necessary.”
Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) argued that California Democrats seem less interested in controlling violence, suggesting that their reluctance to partner with federal officials on immigration enforcement is contrary to federal law.
He expressed a preference for local law enforcement and military involvement in protests, cautioning that protests could escalate if the National Guard were used, similar to the summer of 2020 following Floyd’s murder.
