How veterans are reacting to Marine deployment in LA: ‘The impact is so negative’

Some 700 active-duty Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles amid widespread protests against the recent immigration sweeps.

The move comes even as L.A. Mayor Karen Bass says the troops are not needed, LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell raises concerns around coordination, and state Attorney General Rob Bonta seeks to block the deployment of Marines and federalized National Guard troops in L.A.

Some federal officials have defended the deployment. During a press conference Wednesday, Bill Essayli, United States Attorney for the Central District of California, said President Trump had “no choice but to call in the National Guard.”

“Our agents and our law enforcements were overwhelmed and we are grateful for the help of the National Guard that we’ve received,” Essayli said.

Still, California officials have asked a federal court for a temporary restraining order to block the deployments. A judge is slated to hear arguments today.

Concerns over the use of troops

Local veterans of both the Marine Corps and Army said that the deployment of active-duty troops to L.A. raises concerns for them.

“In my professional opinion, this is not a situation that warrants calling in active-duty Marines,” Gary Barthel, a retired lieutenant colonel who served 20 years with the U.S. Marine Corps, told LAist. Barthel is also managing partner of the Military Law Center in San Diego.

“Constitutionally, as a nation, we do not want to use active duty troops, deploy them against American citizens and others residing in our country. Because the impact is so negative. It makes it appear that the United States of America is a battleground,” Barthel said.

He added that he was also concerned the deployment would politicize the military toward the Trump Administration's goals.

“For me it appears that this is somewhat of a power grab by the administration in testing the waters as to how far they can go,” Barthel said.

In his experience, Barthel said most veterans he hears from don’t think the deployment is a worthwhile endeavor.

'It's an overreach'

Eric Goepel of Bellflower, a veteran of the U.S. Army who did two deployments in Iraq, said the deployment represents a militarization of what should be domestic or federal law enforcement functions.

“It’s an overreach most certainly,” he told LAist.

A member of the veteran group Common Defense, Goepel said he plans to attend a local “No Kings” rally in Long Beach. On Saturday, the same day as the Trump Administration’s military parade in celebration of the Army’s 250th anniversary — and Trump’s birthday—- organizers around the country are planning to protest what they see as presidential overreach and corruption.

The military celebration in Washington, D.C. is estimated to cost $45 million. Defense officials have said the deployment of Marines and National Guard in Los Angeles could see a price tag of around $134 million.

Goepel said he doesn’t believe that’s money well-spent. He points to studies which have shown that in 2020, nearly a quarter of active duty military experienced food insecurity at some point during the previous year.

“A lot of those folks basically can’t provide proper nutrition to their family, meanwhile they’re watching the federal government spend hundreds of millions of dollars ... on the things that are, at best, tangential to the actual mission of the military,” Goepel said.

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