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By Khaleda Rahman and Shane Croucher
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A purported member of the U.S. Army openly joined the protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Dallas and has called on others in the military to "resist evil."
Newsweek has contacted the Pentagon for comment via email.
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Why It Matters
It comes as protests that erupted in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement raids that prompted President Donald Trump to mobilize National Guard troops and Marines have begun to spread to other cities nationwide, including Dallas, Chicago and New York.
Many have been peaceful, but some have resulted in clashes with law enforcement as officers made arrests and used chemical irritants to disperse crowds. The Trump administration has said it would continue its program of raids and deportations despite the protests.
What To Know
"We are not pawns for [President] Donald Trump," said the uniformed woman in an unverified video posted to social media by the leftist activist channel BreakThrough News.
Newsweek could not independently verify the veracity of the video and has contacted BreakThrough News for clarification.
The woman was not fully identified, but a patch that read "Colado" was on her chest where troops wear their last names. She said she had joined the protests after Trump deployed Marines to Los Angeles.
"Why now? It's because the military was called upon against the protesters. We, in our oath to serve, we serve the people of the United States, the Constitution," she said. "These constitutional rights are being stripped and just denied. And the military will not be pawns to that."
In the interview, the woman also called on "the conscience of military members who served previously and now."
She said: "We have a conscience, a mind and we have a duty and moral obligation to say no and resist evil."
Trump has activated more than 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines in Los Angeles over the objections of city and state leaders.
However, the Marines have not yet been spotted in the city and the Guard troops have had limited engagement with protesters, according to The Associated Press.
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What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday that he would send troops to other cities if rioting and disorder similar to what occurred in Los Angeles broke out, saying: "If we didn't attack this one very strongly, you'd have them all over the country, but I can inform the rest of the country that when they do it, if they do it, they're going to be met with equal or greater force than we met right here."
California Governor Gavin Newsom said on CNN on Tuesday evening: "California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes."
What's Next
Newsom asked a federal court on Tuesday to block Trump from using the military in Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, activists are planning larger demonstrations against Trump and his administration's policies across the country on Saturday to coincide with the president's birthday and a planned military parade through Washington D.C.
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