Prof. Ilan Wurman Quoted by NBC News About Military Deployment in Los Angeles

Professor Ilan Wurman, Julius E. Davis Professor of Law, was quoted by NBC News about the military deployment in Los Angeles and how far can a president go in using the military to quell domestic disturbances. For now, the military has a limited role in Los Angeles, focused on protecting federal buildings and activities, but that hasn't stopped California’s Democratic leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, from vehemently objecting to Trump’s actions. Trump has not taken the more drastic step of invoking the Insurrection Act, the name given to a series of legal provisions that allows the president, in certain circumstances, to enlist the military to conduct civilian law enforcement activities. Prof. Wurman said that to this point, Trump has acted within existing precedents that allow the president to use the military to assist with the enforcement of federal law. He said, “Federalizing the National Guard, using regular forces to restore order, is in my view well within the range of prior precedents.” But, he added, any attempt to invoke the Insurrection Act “would be more problematic.”