Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparred with Democrats on Capitol Hill on Tuesday over the decision to send 5,000 Marines and National Guard troops into Los Angeles as some protests against ICE raids turned violent.
June 10 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth sparred with Democrats on Capitol Hill on Tuesday over the decision to send 5,000 Marines and National Guard troops into Los Angeles as some protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids turned violent.
Hegseth, a former National Guardsman, testified before the House Appropriations subcommittee, where he defended the decision to deploy troops and the role of ICE.
« We ought to be able to enforce immigration law in this country », Hegseth testified. « I think we’re entering another phase, especially under President Trump with his focus on the homeland, where the National Guard and Reserves become a critical component of how we secure that homeland. »
« In Los Angeles, we believed ICE had the right to safely conduct operations », Hegseth added. « We deployed National Guard and the Marines to protect them. »
Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., asked Hegseth why he was sending « war fighters to cities to interact with civilians? »
« ICE agents need to be able to do their job », Hegseth responded.
