As many as 700 Marines were temporarily deployed in Los Angeles on Monday by the US military. This is in a bid to bolster security amid violent protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies. The marines will support the National Guards, even as the protests entered the fourth day.
The number of National Guard members is expected to swell to more than 4,000 by mid-week after the Trump administration ordered an additional deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops. But the Pentagon has not yet invoked the Insurrection Act, which would permit direct military involvement in law enforcement — something officials claim they were currently avoiding.
"A battalion will be sent, but for now, the Insurrection Act is not expected to be invoked," the official said on condition of anonymity. "The situation is fluid and could change."
Following Trump's decision to move an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, California Governor Gavin Newsom claimed that only 300 troops have been deployed so far, while "the rest are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders”.
"The first 2,000? Given no food or water," he tweeted, adding, "This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego. This is Reckless. Pointless. And Disrespectful to our troops."
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. The National Guard is jointly controlled by the US federal government and the state governments.
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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 mobilising 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."
Trump has authorised the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard members to respond to immigration protests in Los Angeles, according to the Pentagon’s chief spokesperson. The latest order brings the total number of guards put on federal orders for the protests to more than 4,100.
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