In a dramatic escalation of federal intervention, the Trump administration is deploying approximately 700 U.S. Marines and 2,000 more National Guard troops to Los Angeles to assist overwhelmed law enforcement amid days of violent unrest tied to immigration enforcement operations by ICE.
The Marines, drawn from the 29 Palms base in California, are operating under U.S. Northern Command and will not engage directly with protesters, according to a statement from the Command. Their stated mission is to provide logistical and security support to federal law enforcement.
“Due to increased threats to federal law enforcement officers and federal buildings, approximately 700 active-duty U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton are being deployed to Los Angeles to restore order,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced Monday on X (formerly Twitter). “We have an obligation to defend federal law enforcement officers – even if Gavin Newsom will not.”
The unrest began Friday when Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a series of immigration raids in the greater Los Angeles area. Protesters responded with road blockades, vandalism, and attacks on government vehicles and personnel, including setting fire to several self-driving cars.
In response to the growing violence, President Trump issued a directive late Sunday authorizing federal agencies to “take all such action necessary” to end the riots. By Monday night, an additional 2,000 California National Guard troops had been mobilized into federal service to support ICE and other federal law enforcement agencies.
Chief Pentagon Spokesman Sean Parnell confirmed the deployment, emphasizing the need to “enable federal law-enforcement officers to safely conduct their duties.”
Legal and Political Backlash
California officials have responded furiously to the president’s actions, with Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filing a lawsuit challenging Trump’s authority to federalize the state’s National Guard. The lawsuit, announced Monday, argues that the move violates the Tenth Amendment and represents an unlawful overreach of presidential power.
“This is a manufactured crisis,” said Newsom. “He is creating fear and terror to take over a state militia and violate the U.S. Constitution. This illegal order could allow him to send the military into any state he wishes.”
Bonta added: “Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion. The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends.”
Newsom also criticized the actual execution of the troop deployments, claiming that only a fraction of the originally deployed 2,000 National Guard troops were being utilized while others sat in federal buildings without clear orders or adequate resources.
Federal and Local Law Enforcement Under Pressure
The riots, centered largely in downtown L.A. and surrounding neighborhoods, have involved both peaceful demonstrators and violent agitators. Over the weekend, protesters shut down major highways, including the 101 Freeway, and clashed with law enforcement. The LAPD confirmed Monday that 50 individuals had been arrested, including 21 charged with serious offenses such as looting, assault with a deadly weapon, and attempted murder involving a Molotov cocktail.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons defended the agency’s actions, saying the raids targeted “criminal illegal aliens including gang members, drug traffickers, and those with a history of violence and child cruelty.”
Lyons criticized the delayed response from the LAPD, stating it took over two hours to provide backup during the initial stages of the riot.
Political Firestorm
The crisis has become a flashpoint in the ongoing feud between President Trump and Democratic leadership in California. Trump has repeatedly criticized Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for their handling of the situation, accusing them of losing control of their jurisdictions.
“We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated.”
Trump took a mocking tone in his message, referring to Governor Newsom as “Gavin Newscum” and accusing local leaders of failing to maintain public safety.
Meanwhile, social media footage showed protesters waving foreign flags, particularly Mexican flags, and chanting against deportations. Some were seen wearing keffiyehs, a symbol increasingly associated with anti-Israel activism. These images have further fueled the administration’s rhetoric about the need for stricter immigration enforcement and federal intervention.
Broader Context
The deployment and legal battle come amid the Trump administration’s push for the largest deportation operation in U.S. history. ICE has ramped up raids in sanctuary cities like Los Angeles as part of its crackdown on illegal immigrants, particularly those with criminal records or gang affiliations.
The federal-state conflict over immigration enforcement has reached new heights, with Trump leveraging the military and invoking national emergency powers to override local resistance.
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