President Donald Trump issued an executive order on Monday that orders Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to increase the provision of “military and national security assets” to local law enforcement officials and “determine how military and national security assets” could “most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.”
In Trump’s executive order, titled “Strengthening and Unleashing America’s Law Enforcement to Pursue Criminals and Protect Innocent Civilians,” the president emphasized that his administration is “steadfastly committed to empowering State and local law enforcement to firmly police dangerous criminal behavior and protect innocent citizens.”
Part of Trump’s executive order directed Bondi and Hegseth to consult with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and other agency leaders to “increase the provision of excess military and national security assets in local jurisdictions to assist State and local law enforcement” within 90 days.
Trump added, “Within 90 days of the date of this order, the Secretary of Defense, in coordination with the Attorney General, shall determine how military and national security assets, training, non-lethal capabilities, and personnel can most effectively be utilized to prevent crime.”
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The Independent reported that some opponents of the president’s executive order warned that the order could result in a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act 1878, which was instituted to prevent military forces from engaging in local law enforcement matters.
The Posse Comitatus Act states, “Whoever, except in cases and under circumstances expressly authorized by the Constitution or Act of Congress, willfully uses any part of the Army or the Air Force as a posse comitatus or otherwise to execute the laws shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than two years, or both.”
According to The Independent, the Posse Comitatus Act’s restrictions were later extended to both the U.S. Marine Corps and the U.S. Navy.
In Monday’s executive order, Trump stressed the importance of equipping local law enforcement agencies with the resources necessary to protect American citizens. Trump wrote, “Safe communities rely on the backbone and heroism of a tough and well-equipped police force.”
In his executive order, Trump ordered Bondi and other administration officials to “provide new best practices to State and local law enforcement to aggressively police communities against all crimes,” to expand and improve training opportunities for law enforcement officials, to increase pay and benefits for law enforcement officials, and to increase legal protections for law enforcement officials.
