A senior US official said that the US military is deploying approximately 700 Marines to Los Angeles on Monday in order to bolster security amid violent protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
The deployment, described as temporary, is meant to support National Guard forces already on the ground. The number of troops is expected to swell to 2,000 by mid-week. However, the Pentagon has not yet invoked the Insurrection Act, which would permit direct military involvement in law enforcement—a line officials say they are currently avoiding.
“A battalion will be sent, but for now, the Insurrection Act is not expected to be invoked,” the official said anonymously. “The situation is fluid and could change.”
This is one of the most significant military responses to domestic unrest since protests erupted nationwide. About 300 California National Guard troops were first deployed on Sunday as immigration protests entered the third — and most intense — day in the city. The arrival of those forces, ordered under federal authority, drew fierce backlash from state leaders.
CALIFORNIA SUES TRUMP OVER NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYMENT
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday that the state has sued the Trump administration, calling the deployment “an unlawful abuse of power” that undermines state sovereignty. “We don’t take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilizing California National Guard troops,” Bonta said.
Protesters in Los Angeles have taken to the streets in growing numbers following the administration’s latest crackdown on immigrants, which includes large-scale workplace raids and fast-track deportation orders. The military presence has created tensions, with many residents expressing concern over what they describe as a militarised response to civilian dissent.
President Trump defended the move on Monday, saying, “The city would have been completely obliterated if we hadn’t sent in the Guard.”
By midday, under federal orders, around 1,000 National Guard members were already present in the city. The full force of 2,000 troops, authorized by the president, was expected to be in place by the end of the day.
With inputs from Reuters