Federal deployment against civilians
Federal deployment against civilians is the use of federal armed forces, federalized National Guard, or federal law enforcement in coercive roles against US civilians — protest policing, immigration enforcement in interior cities, response to civil unrest — in ways that exceed the lawful frameworks for such deployment or that use those frameworks pretextually. The publication tracks documented deployments and the legal authorities invoked, applying the standard symmetrically across administrations.
2026 Events (2)
Federalized Tennessee National Guard soldiers fatally shot Tyrin Johnson during Memphis foot pursuit
Early on the morning of July 5, 2026, two Tennessee National Guard soldiers assigned to the Trump administration's federal Memphis Safe Task Force fatally shot 20-year-old Tyrin Johnson during a foot pursuit in downtown Memphis; police said Johnson turned toward them while holding a handgun. Johnson was struck twice in the chest and died at the scene despite first aid from Guard medics; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is investigating at the request of the Shelby County District Attorney. An independent autopsy released in August 2026 contradicted the official account, finding Johnson was shot in the back on a trajectory consistent with him running away.
Idaho National Guard troops pinned and detained Purple Heart veteran Anna King outside her D.C. home without a warrant
On May 8, 2026, three federalized Idaho National Guard members detained Anna King, a retired Army captain and Purple Heart recipient, outside her Washington, D.C. home, pinning her to the ground, kneeling on her back, and handcuffing her without producing a warrant or explaining the legal basis. King, who had criticized the National Guard's deployment in the city with signs on her patio, suffered wrist injuries that later required surgery. She was never charged over the prior incident the guardsmen cited to justify the stop, though D.C. prosecutors separately charged her with two misdemeanor counts of assaulting an officer for her resistance during the May 8 encounter, a charge she disputes and has pleaded not guilty to.
2025 Events (1)
U.S. Marines detained Army veteran Marcos Leao for two hours outside Wilshire Federal Building; no charges filed
On June 13, 2025, U.S. Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment — deployed under Title 10 authority to assist immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles — detained Marcos Leao, a U.S. Army veteran, outside the Wilshire Federal Building. Marines zip-tied Leao's hands behind his back and held him for approximately two hours before releasing him without charges. Legal experts identified the detention as the first known instance of active-duty military detaining a civilian during the Los Angeles deployment and cited serious Posse Comitatus Act concerns.