" They are treating them as if it is all the looters on the plane, which may not be a bad idea. "
I saw a clip on FOX this morning (sound off) which showed a small group of evacuees waiting to board a helicopter. The camera panned to the left to show a LEO walking away from the group, his arms loaded with handguns and rifles.
Probably a good idea to screen everybody on both ends of the journey.
Give them the benefit of the doubt - anyone still alive and unmolested by the looters and thugs at this point would likely have been armed as well. Remember, the evac is on the condition that you give up all your weapons and that applies to the law abiding, too.
At this point, nobody in TX trusts what the LA authorities say - we've been screening refugees since day 1 anyway.