At noon on Friday, 200 infantry Marines from Marine Corps Ground Air Station Twentynine Palms took over the role of protecting the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles, assuming the mission from Army National Guard soldiers who have been on the property this week, said Major Gen. Scott Sherman, the commander of Task Force 51.
The two companies began training with the soldiers Thursday night, but are now taking over full operation of guarding the federal building. Officials said they will be armed with their service rifles. They will also have standard crowd-control gear, which includes helmets, face shields, batons and gas masks.
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A woman tries to enter the Wilshire Federal Building in Westwood on Friday, June 13, 2025 as the National Guard protects the building. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
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A woman tries to enter the Wilshire Federal Building in Westwood on Friday, June 13, 2025 as the National Guard protects the building. (Photo by Sarah Reingewirtz, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
“Service members receive that training before they ever go on the mission,” he said. “It includes descalation techniques and proper use of crowd control.”
The Task Force has amassed 4,700 personnel — mostly National Guard — in response to the protests that have broken out in the Los Angeles area over immigration enforcement starting on June 6. The National Guard soldiers will be moved to protect federal law enforcement, Sherman said, adding they will not be doing the enforcement, but will focus on protecting the federal personnel.
“We are committed to protecting lives, property and preserving peace and public safety,” he said, adding that as of Friday, no soldier or Marine has been involved in detaining anyone. “They have watched federal law enforcement arrest personnel as they were protecting, but they have not had to detain anyone at this point.”
On June 8, at the direction of the president, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the mobilization and deployment of 2,000 California National Guard soldiers from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. Later, Hegseth ordered the mobilization of an additional 2,000 National Guard members. On June 9, an extra force of 700 Marines from Twentynine Palms were readied.
At present, Sherman said about 2,000 soldiers and 200 Marines are on the ground protecting federal installations and supporting federal personnel.
The larger Department of Defense presence planned Friday comes a day after the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked a federal judge’s order that had directed President Donald Trump to return control of National Guard troops to California. The federal judge had ruled the National Guard deployment was illegal and both violated the 10th Amendment and exceeded Trump’s statutory authority.
Sherman said it is his policy not to make comments on pending litigation and he will continue on with the mission “until we receive orders from higher on how to continue.”
Sherman also said basic creature comforts for the Marines, such as food, shelter, laundry, latrines, showers and handwashing stations, are being assembled. Until all these have been set up, Sherman said the Marines and soldiers have adequate shelter and water. Those not staged in the immediate area in Los Angeles are being billeted at various locations in the Los Angeles area, Sherman said.
At noon, yellow caution tape remained around the Wilshire building, and Marines had checkpoints in the parking lot and along the walkway to the building. Those requesting entry had to show evidence of an appointment or the purpose of the visit. Nearby roads and businesses were unhampered by the military presence, and people seemed to be conducting their affairs in a typical way.
Marines briefly detained a man because he crossed under the yellow tape on his way to the Veterans Administration. He later told reporters, “They treated me fairly.”
The troops are authorized to detain people posing a possible threat to federal personnel or property, but only until police can arrest them. Military officials are not allowed to carry out arrests themselves, officials said.
Staff photographer Sarah Reingewirtz contributed to this story.
