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UpInArms

(52,893 posts)
5. Posse Comitatus Act
Mon Jun 9, 2025, 04:56 PM
Monday
The Posse Comitatus Act is a United States federal law (18 U.S.C. § 1385, original at 20 Stat. 152) signed on June 18, 1878, by President Rutherford B. Hayes that limits the powers of the federal government in the use of federal military personnel to enforce domestic policies within the United States. Congress passed the Act as an amendment to an army appropriation bill following the end of Reconstruction and updated it in 1956, 1981 and 2021.

The Act originally applied only to the United States Army, but a subsequent amendment in 1956 expanded its scope to the United States Air Force. In 2021, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022 further expanded the scope of the Act to cover the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Space Force. The Act does not prevent the Army National Guard or the Air National Guard under state authority from acting in a law enforcement capacity within its home state or in an adjacent state if invited by that state's governor. The United States Coast Guard (under the Department of Homeland Security) is not covered by the Act either, primarily because although it is an armed service, it also has a maritime law enforcement mission.

The title of the Act comes from the legal concept of posse comitatus, the authority under which a county sheriff, or another law officer, can conscript any able-bodied person to assist in keeping the peace.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posse_Comitatus_Act

Recommendations

8 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

holy crap! n/t orleans Monday #1
That's hard to swallow................. Lovie777 Monday #2
How is it backfiring? MadameButterfly Monday #3
Marines don't shoot rubber bullets Pachamama Monday #4
They don't do crowd control either nt Javaman Monday #7
Nor are they trained for crowd control. They are trained to kill people. Full stop. Karasu Monday #8
Marines AzTired64 Monday #14
for the protesters AND the marines lapfog_1 Monday #26
Im sure instigating it going south is the goal. Kablooie Tuesday #31
Posse Comitatus Act UpInArms Monday #5
Should we thank Joe Biden for getting this through congress in 2022 as a roadblock to future Trumpian plans? PermatexNo.2 Monday #19
Probably UpInArms Monday #20
I do believe he did just that and my love for that great man only grows stronger. PermatexNo.2 Monday #23
Unfortunately, it may not matter Polybius Monday #28
This message was self-deleted by its author SalamanderSleeps Tuesday #30
Never bdamomma Tuesday #35
As I recall DENVERPOPS Monday #24
Well this violates several laws nt Javaman Monday #6
Just 1 more Iamscrewed Monday #9
Even if it were, repukes won't unseat him. sakabatou Monday #25
History Iamscrewed Tuesday #36
If this is illegal Bluestocking Monday #10
Because they are not Bluestocking Monday #12
He is just chipping away DENVERPOPS Monday #27
Welcome to DU !! bdamomma Tuesday #34
No enforcement procedures UpInArms Monday #21
Well, that SC decision to give this bastard immunity is just bluestarone Monday #11
How many Proud Boys and other Trump domestic terrorists are being paid to infiltrate the protests? Lonestarblue Monday #13
Trump really, REALLY wants to be like Putin Skittles Monday #15
Putin DENVERPOPS Monday #29
Putin bdamomma Tuesday #33
Hopefully they can get that order done soon. Along with ordering ICE out ofbthe city. SSJVegeta Monday #16
Every one... Chi67 Monday #17
MARINES and what they swore to... RobertDevereaux Monday #18
I never thought it would ever be BidenRocks Monday #22
I think bdamomma Tuesday #32
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