UN Human Rights Chief Urges US To Avoid Using Military Force Against Anti-Trump Protesters, Calls For Protection Of Peaceful Assembly Rights

United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk urged U.S. authorities Monday to respect peaceful assembly rights and avoid military force against protesters opposing President Donald Trump‘s immigration crackdown.

The warning comes as federal tensions escalate with 4,700 troops deployed in Los Angeles amid eight days of demonstrations.

What Happened: Turk told the U.N. Human Rights Council in Geneva that authorities should “refrain from any resort to military force when civilian authorities are capable of maintaining public order,” reported Reuters.

His statement follows an unprecedented deployment of U.S. Marines who detained civilian Marcos Leao, an Army veteran, at the Wilshire Federal Building Friday.

The incident marked the first known active-duty military detention of a civilian in Los Angeles. Marines used zip ties to restrain Leao before transferring him to Department of Homeland Security custody.

Military Northern Command confirmed active-duty forces can temporarily detain individuals under specific conditions before immediate transfer to civilian law enforcement.

Currently, 200 Marines and 2,000 National Guard members protect federal assets in Los Angeles, with 500 additional Marines and 2,000 Guard troops expected.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations arrest 2,000 immigration offenders daily, exceeding the 311 daily average under former President Joe Biden.

California Governor Gavin Newsom sued to block military deployment, calling it an assault on democracy. A federal appeals court allowed Trump to maintain National Guard control, marking the first federal activation without gubernatorial consent since 1965. Los Angeles imposed downtown curfews with 197 arrests in one day.

Why It Matters: The Trump administration reactivated the World War II-era Alien Registration Act, requiring 3.2 million unregistered immigrants to register with the government or face prosecution under the “mass self-deportation” strategy. The Department of Homeland Security received 47,000 registrations since April enforcement began.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned federal troop deployment could violate the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act restricting military involvement in civilian law enforcement. Former President Barack Obama defended DACA recipients Sunday, stating families “are being demonized and treated as enemies”.

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