Hegseth asserts Trump can send troops anywhere to protect ICE agents conducting raids
Source: ABC News
Hegseth asserts Trump can send troops anywhere to protect ICE agents conducting raids
Pentagon budget official estimated LA troop deployment to cost $134 million.
ByAnne Flaherty and Luis Martinez
June 10, 2025, 2:25 PM
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told lawmakers Tuesday that he and President Donald Trump have the power to send National Guard and active-duty troops anywhere in the country to ensure Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents can enforce the law, an assertion that -- if carried out -- would open the door to a historic clash between Trump and Democratic governors.
"We believe that ICE, which is a federal law enforcement agency, has the right to safely conduct operations in any state, in any jurisdiction in the country," Hegseth told the House Appropriations Defense subcommittee.
"ICE ought be able to do its job, whether it's Minneapolis or Los Angeles," he added.
Hegseth's testimony before a House panel came as some 4,800 National Guard and Marines were en route to Los Angeles for a 60-day deployment after protestors clashed with law enforcement, setting cars on fire and spraying graffiti on buildings.
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Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hegseth-testify-capitol-hill-house-dem-calls-marine/story?id=122668997
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