The supposed justification for sending the 101 to Little Rock was to back up the Federal Marshall's because the Govenor called out the National Guard to restore order. He told the Marshalls to butt out and go back to Washington since they had no authority in a totally state matter. And they didn't, the laws being broken were state and not federal law. The government federalized the Guard to take them away from the Governor's control. The 101 was there to actually watch the Guard.