The Pentagon is deploying approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles to assist National Guard troops in managing escalating immigration protests, as tensions continue to simmer across the state. California officials confirmed that the deployment comes amidst plans for a legal challenge against President Donald Trump, who is accused of overstepping his authority by mobilizing National Guard members without state consent.
The Marines are being dispatched from their base at Twentynine Palms in Southern California, according to three unnamed U.S. officials who revealed the details on the condition of anonymity. This military maneuver is part of a broader effort to maintain order in a city that has witnessed a surge of demonstrators over the past few days.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta publicly criticized the President’s actions, claiming that Trump has “trampled” on the state’s sovereignty. In a statement, Bonta expressed his intention to seek a court order to declare the President’s use of National Guard troops as unlawful, alongside a restraining order to halt their deployment. “We don’t take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilizing California National Guard troops,” he remarked, underscoring the gravity of the situation.
The atmosphere in downtown Los Angeles was charged, with the lingering scent of smoke in the air following a tumultuous weekend marked by protester clashes with law enforcement. Demonstrators had previously obstructed a major freeway and set fire to self-driving cars, prompting a robust police response that included tear gas and rubber bullets. Clean-up operations following these incidents could take several days, with debris from burnt vehicles still littering the streets.
Despite the unrest in certain areas, the broader cityscape remained relatively unaffected, with millions of Los Angeles residents continuing their daily activities. However, thousands gathered around City Hall on Monday for a union rally in support of labor leader David Huerta. Huerta’s recent arrest during an immigration raid protest has amplified public dissent against the administration’s deportation policies. He serves as the president of the Service Employees International Union California, which represents a diverse workforce of janitorial and security personnel throughout the state.
Earlier in the day, religious leaders joined protesters outside the federal detention center where Huerta was held, helping to diffuse tensions among demonstrators. Protesters united by linking arms and singing peacefully before a line of police officers stationed nearby, reinforcing the non-violent aspect of their demonstration. According to sources, Bonta criticized Trump for exacerbating the protesters’ frustrations with his announcement of troop deployments, indicating that the unrest was not an inevitable consequence of the protests. “This was not inevitable,” he asserted.
In response, Trump defended his decision to send in the National Guard, suggesting that the riots would have led to chaos without his intervention. “The city would have been completely obliterated if I had not deployed the Guard,” he claimed during a White House event, insisting that state leaders had been reluctant to act.
As of Monday afternoon, there were approximately 1,000 National Guard members in Los Angeles under federal orders, with plans for the total number authorized to reach 2,000 by the end of the day. Officials who disclosed these details cited the need for additional support to safeguard federal properties, particularly the downtown detention center that became the focal point of demonstrator activities.
Protests had initially ignited on Friday and subsequently expanded to nearby cities, including Paramount and Compton, which have significant Latino populations. By Monday afternoon, additional demonstrations were taking shape in Los Angeles, and other protests were scheduled to erupt in several American cities.
Outside a clothing warehouse, families of detained workers demanded their loved ones’ release in a press conference, highlighting individual stories amidst the broader narrative of unrest. One family member of Jacob Vasquez, a 35-year-old detainee from the warehouse, emphasized the personal toll of the situation on their household, revealing the distress and uncertainty faced by those impacted.
Following a chaotic Sunday night, police declared an unlawful assembly in response to escalating tensions, leading to several arrests. Some protestors clashed violently with law enforcement, throwing objects, including Molotov cocktails and fireworks, at police officers and their vehicles.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell noted that officers felt “overwhelmed” by a faction of demonstrators characterized as habitual agitators who incite discord during protests. Over the weekend, a number of arrests were made, including an individual who launched a Molotov cocktail at officers and another accused of ramming a motorcycle into police lines.
In a letter addressed to President Trump, California Governor Gavin Newsom vehemently opposed the deployment of National Guard troops, suggesting it represented a serious breach of state sovereignty. The Governor, meeting with local law enforcement and officials in Los Angeles, cautioned against violence during protests, warning that such behavior would play into Trump’s hands and lead to arrests.
“Trump wants chaos, and he’s instigated violence,” Newsom stated, urging demonstrators to maintain a peaceful approach and focus on their core messages as they sought to challenge governmental policies. Historical context for this deployment highlights a significant departure from precedent; it marks the first instance in decades wherein a state’s National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, amplifying concerns over federal overreach in state affairs.
Newsom, who has repeatedly affirmed that California authorities had the situation under control, ridiculed Trump for issuing a celebratory message to the Guard troops prior to their arrival in the city, drawing attention to perceived discrepancies between state and federal narratives.
This current mobilization represents a continuation of the federal government’s approach to immigration enforcement and mass deportation efforts, a sensitive issue that has divided public opinion and prompted strong reactions from various communities. The last similar deployment of National Guard troops without gubernatorial authorization occurred in 1965, when then-President Lyndon B. Johnson dispatched forces to protect civil rights marchers in Alabama, a fact noted by advocacy groups monitoring the current situation.
In a directive issued Saturday, President Trump invoked a provision that allows for such deployment in response to potential “rebellion” or “danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.” As the situation in Los Angeles develops, the intricate interplay between state and federal powers continues to unfold, with implications that could resonate far beyond California.