WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended his decision to order troops to provide security during federal immigration raids in Los Angeles, telling senators on Wednesday it's about “maintaining law and order.”
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., condemned the move as illegal, saying it erodes military readiness and questioning how it is being funded. It was the second day of harsh congressional questioning for Hegseth on the deployment of troops over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, continued military aid to Ukraine, a deal on a gifted Qatari jet and more.
“The mission in Los Angeles, as you know well, sir, is not about lethality,” Hegseth said in response to questions. “It’s about maintaining law and order on behalf of law enforcement agents who deserve to do their job without being attacked by mobs of people.”
The exchange underscored confusion about the deployment of more than 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to provide security at the immigration protests and operations in Los Angeles. Photos have shown Guard troops setting a security perimeter around agents as they make arrests in the city, moving them closer to law enforcement functions, which by law they are not allowed to do.
About 2,000 of the Guard soldiers are in place in Los Angeles, initially sent to provide security. The Marines are at a nearby base and have not yet been used.
Democrats press Hegseth on use of troops in US cities
Speaking at a Senate defense appropriations subcommittee hearing, Reed said law and order is a civil function, not a job for the U.S. military. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., added that the California deployment, along with President Donald Trump's threat to use force against protesters at the Army's 250th anniversary parade on Saturday, “should stop every one of us cold.”
She added that “threatening to use our own troops on our own citizens at such scale is unprecedented. It is unconstitutional. And it is downright un-American.”
Asked later what constitutional authority the department is using to deploy active duty Marines to the protests, Hegseth said he didn't know the specific provision but would provide it.
Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, who was testifying alongside Hegseth, was asked whether he sees evidence of “rebellion” in the U.S. That could be used to invoke the Insurrection Act to use the military for law enforcement functions.
“There are definitely some frustrated folks out there,” Caine said in response.
Answering the same question, Hegseth repeated Trump’s argument that “there has been an invasion” of migrants entering the country without legal permission, and he said the protests in Los Angeles could spread to other areas.
Caine, asked if he believes the U.S. is being invaded by a foreign power, said, “I don’t see any foreign, state-sponsored folks invading, but I’ll be mindful of the fact that there have been some border issues.”
Lawmakers raise concerns about continuing US support for Ukraine
Hegseth also faced bipartisan criticism for failing to provide details about the administration’s first proposed defense budget and over an array of other decisions he's made during his tenure.
The panel's chairman, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and other senators expressed frustration that Congress has not yet gotten a full defense budget from the Trump administration and that the current level does not have the U.S. spending enough on defense.
McConnell also noted that the limited budget request that lawmakers have received has no funding for Ukraine security assistance, questioning whether that makes “lasting peace” more or less likely.
Hegseth, in his opening remarks, said the department needed more time to pull a spending plan together but that he has moved quickly to kill wasteful programs and redirect funding to Trump’s priorities.
Hegseth said a negotiated peace in Ukraine makes America look strong, even though Russia is the aggressor. He said the budget includes hard choices and “reflects the reality that Europe needs to step up more for the defense of its own continent. And President Trump deserves the credit for that."
Hegseth said some U.S. security spending for Ukraine is still in the pipeline, but he provided no details.
Hegseth confirms no deal has been signed for the Qatari jet
Hegseth repeatedly refused to provide details on plans for the Defense Department to accept a 747 jet offered by Qatar for use as Air Force One. He said budgeting and schedules for security upgrades to turn the plane into the president's aircraft are classified.
Hegseth confirmed reports that the Qataris have not come to an agreement with the Trump administration over a memo that would allow the military to take possession of the aircraft.
That also means no contracts have been signed to move forward on overhauling the Qatari jet.
He refused to answer questions on the cost or potential timeframe of that upgrade — even though data on two other 747s being reconditioned by Boeing to serve as Air Force One is public.
“A memorandum of understanding remains to be signed,” Hegseth said.
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AP writer David Klepper in Washington contributed to this report.