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(NewsNation) — As the Anti-ICE protests proceed successful Los Angeles, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection is deploying Predator drones and Black Hawk helicopters to quell the crowds.
According to NewsNation affiliate KTLA, a spokesperson for CBP said that the drones are providing “aerial support” for national agents, including those from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The drones are unarmed, the Department of Homeland Security says. CBP besides acknowledged that its aerial and marine operations were not engaged successful the surveillance of First Amendment activities, but that they are “providing serviceman information surveillance erstwhile requested by officers”.
The Department of Homeland Security flew 2 high-powered Predator surveillance drones supra the anti-ICE protests successful the metropolis past week. This was secondary to the cognition that saw President Trump deploy the California National Guard and U.S. Marines to the city, contempt objections from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“The territory tribunal has nary authorization to usurp the president’s authorization arsenic Commander successful Chief,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said successful a statement. “The president exercised his lawful authorization to mobilize the National Guard to support national buildings and unit successful Gavin Newsom’s lawless Los Angeles."
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled the Guard deployment was illegal, and some violated the Tenth Amendment, which defines powerfulness betwixt national and authorities governments, and exceeded Trump’s statutory authority.
It is not the archetypal clip the DHS has flown drones implicit protests, either. In 2020, the bureau dispatched drones implicit astatine slightest 15 cities crossed the state wherever radical gathered to protestation the execution of George Floyd, logging much than 270 hours of surveillance footage.
