[Lurker]

In Little Rock state officials were actively blocking students from schools and they had to be escorted in by troops. What actions would federal troops take against clerks who simply refuse to issue a license? Would they shoot them?

Under what legal authority would they do so? What statute authorizes such an action?

[Publius]

Judges have a great deal of latitude in enforcing orders of the court. Statute doesn't necessarily matter.

Here, the federal judges would simply appoint masters with arrest powers to supervise the clerks. The enforcement arm would be federal marshals functioning under court order.