
Los Angeles live: 700 marines to be deployed - as thousands of troops 'given no food or water'
In pictures: Marines prepare for departure to Los Angeles
Marines were preparing to depart for the greater Los Angeles area on Monday from the Marine Corps Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, California, according to a post on X from the US Northern Command.
The 700 soldiers "will seamlessly integrate" with the National Guard troops protecting federal personnel and property in LA, the Northern Command said.
'False invitations' led to immigration arrests, Sky News told
We heard from David Cruz, communications director at the League of United Latin American Citizens.
He told Sky News that people in Los Angeles received what he described as "false invitations" for an immigration hearing at the federal building.
But, since then, they were "never seen again".
He said: "What was more concerning were the false invitations that were being sent out to immigrants, some of whom had been here more than 10 years.
"They arrived at their immigration hearing at the federal building in downtown Los Angeles, never to be seen again.
"We found out about it 72 hours later when 200 detainees were being shipped to points unknown around the nation and beyond.
"That's what this reaction from our community."
Sky News has approached ICE for comment.
National Guard deployment to 'our city is actually a test case,' LA mayor says
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass spoke at a news conference about Donald Trump sending National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
She said: "It makes me feel like our city is actually a test case for what happens when the federal government moves in and takes the authority away from the state or away from local government.
"I don't think that our city should be used for an experiment to see what happens in the nation's second-largest city [and whether they] can do this to other cities."
Bass, a Democrat, previously accused Trump of "creating a crisis" in LA - see our 20.37 post for Bass and fellow Democrat Gavin Newsom taking aim at the US president.
Deployment of marines 'creates logistical challenges and risks', LAPD chief says
Jim McDonnell, leading the Los Angeles Police Department, said at a news conference that deploying the Marines to LA "without direct coordination creates logistical challenges and risks confusion during critical incidents".
"We urge full transparency and communication across all levels of government," he added.
McDonnell highlighted that the LAPD's priority was to "simply keep both the public and law enforcement officers and to maintain order".
This comes after McDonnell said on X that the LAPD had not "received any formal notification that the Marines will be arriving in Los Angeles".
In pictures: Fourth day of protests hit LA
Here are some of the latest pictures from a fourth day of protests in Los Angeles.
Unlike previous days, there seem to be fewer clashes between protesters and authorities so far.
Trump 'deploys 2,000 additional National Guard troops'
Donald Trump is deploying 2,000 additional National Guard troops on top of the 2,000 he sent on the weekend - only 300 of whom were actually deployed in LA, according to Gavin Newsom.
The governor stated that the deployed troops have not been provided with food and water - see our post at 20:49 for more details.
Watch: Trump attacks California governor
Earlier, the US president returned to the White House after a trip to Camp David.
Upon his arrival he spoke to reporters.
While there, he made some comments over the possibility of arresting California governor Gavin Newsom, saying: "I would."
Man at heart of one of the LA protests released
A man who was at the heart of one of the protests in Los Angeles has been released.
Union leader David Huerta was arrested on Friday for allegedly obstructing the access of federal immigration agents to a worksite.
He was one of a number of people detained at a federal building, and appeared in court today after being charged.
Huerta has now been released from custody on a $50,000 (£36,896) bond.
On Monday, protesters assembled partly to call for his release, with Huerta's arrest becoming a rallying point.
We reported on that in our 21.27 post and on his arrest in our 20.22 post.
The move could possibly help defuse tensions on the streets of LA.
Marines to join task force on the streets of LA
We're able to bring you a bit more information on the deployment of marines to Los Angeles now.
US Northern Command has just released some information, confirming the soldiers will be used and won't remain on standby.
It adds they were originally placed on alert over the weekend, and also outlines how they will be used.
'Protecting federal personnel and property'
US Northern Command activated marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th marines and 1st marine division.
They will join Task Force 51 with the aim of "protecting federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area."
This step has been taken, Northern Command said, to provide authorities with "adequate numbers".
Task Force 51 is comprised of around 2,100 National Guard troops and 700 marines.
It has been trained in "de-escalation" and "crowd control".
Another escalation?
Much of the criticism that has been aimed at the White House today centres around the decision to deploy the National Guard.
Democrats have said that Trump inflamed tensions in LA.
The deployment of marines will be viewed by Trump critics as taking it one step further.
Governor raises questions over mobilisation of marines
Governor Gavin Newsom's office has raised questions over the mobilisation of marines in Los Angeles.
We reported earlier - see our 21.09 post - on the reports that marines were being readied for use after the unrest in recent days.
The governor's office said: "From our understanding, this is moving Marines from one base to another base."
It claimed, contrary to some reports, that the marines were being mobilised and not deployed.
"The level of escalation is completely unwarranted, uncalled for, and unprecedented — mobilizing the best in class branch of the US military against its own citizens," it added.
Deployment vs mobilisation?
Mobilisation is different from full deployment.
So it doesn't remain clear if the marines will actually hit the streets of LA immediately, or remain on standby.
Our US partner NBC News understands that the marines have not yet left the 29 Palms base.
They are expected to begin moving to Camp Pendleton as early as tonight.
Democratic criticisms
Many of the Democratic criticisms they have thrown towards Donald Trump have accused the US president of sending an unneeded and uncalled-for force into LA.
They say he has inflamed the situation on the ground and made things worse.
More extreme criticisms have characterised this as an invasion, while leading state politicians have said it is an abuse of power.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
FACT FOCUS: A Craigslist ad is not proof of paid protesters in LA. It was posted as a prank
As demonstrations in Los Angeles over immigration raids unfolded in recent days, social media users falsely cited a Craigslist ad as evidence that protesters had been paid to participate. 'We are forming a select team of THE TOUGHEST dudes in the area,' the ad, which is no longer live, read. 'This unit will be activated only when the situation demands it — BUT YOU GET PAID EVERY WEEK NO MATTER WHAT. high-pressure, high-risk, no room for hesitation. We need individuals who do not break, panic, or fold under stress and are basically kickass dudes.' It offered $6,500-$12,500 in compensation per week. But the ad was a prank, it is not related to the Los Angeles protests. Here's a closer look at the facts. CLAIM: A Craigslist ad seeking 'the toughest badasses in the city' is proof that Los Angeles demonstrations over immigration raids are made up of paid protesters. THE FACTS: This is false. The ad, which appeared in Craigslist's Los Angeles section for general labor jobs, was bait for a prank show and had nothing to do with the protests in Los Angeles, the ad's creator told The Associated Press. It was posted on Thursday, the day before the protests began. In a livestreamed episode on Friday, the show's hosts called and spoke with people who responded to the ad. 'I literally had no idea it was ever going to be connected to the riots. It was a really weird coincidence,' said Joey LaFleur, who posted the ad on Craigslist. The ad was developed as part of a new prank show called 'Goofcon1,' said LaFleur, who hosts the podcast with Logan Quiroz. On their show Friday, the day protests began, they spoke live on the phone with people who responded during Goofcon1's third episode. LaFleur noted during the episode that he also posted a more 'militaristic' version of the ad in Craigslist's Austin section, but didn't get many responses. Screenshots of the ad were used in social media posts on multiple platforms, cited as proof that those involved in the Los Angeles protests had been paid. The posts gained tens of thousands of likes, shares, and views. 'CALIFORNIA RIOT IS A FUNDED OPERATION,' reads one X post sharing the ad. 'Destabilizing the Trump administration and the United States in general is the goal. Then, they receive billions of federal funding to 'fix' the damage and pocket the money.' A TikTok video sharing the ad viewed approximately 14,100 times called protesters 'paid agitators' who are turning 'what was initially a peaceful protest of just marching into a full-blown riot.' Others pointed to the ad as evidence that the protests 'aren't organic' or have been faked by Democrats. After screenshots of the ad spread on social media, LaFleur posted about the confusion on his Instagram story multiple times. 'Accidentally goofed the entire nation on the latest @goofcon1,' one post reads. In another, he muses: 'I don't really know what to do with any of this. I guess get on Newsmax, or something. If I get on Newsmax, that could be funny.' False claims about paid protesters regularly spread around demonstrations, especially those that attract national or international attention. Similar false claims spread widely in 2020 during demonstrations over George Floyd's death at the hands of Minneapolis police. ___


The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
Gabbard says AI is speeding up intel work, including the release of the JFK assassination files
Artificial intelligence is speeding up the work of America 's intelligence services, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said Tuesday. Speaking to a technology conference, Gabbard said AI programs, when used responsibly, can save money and free up intelligence officers to focus on gathering and analyzing information. The sometimes slow pace of intelligence work frustrated her as a member of Congress, Gabbard said, and continues to be a challenge. AI can run human resource programs, for instance, or scan sensitive documents ahead of potential declassification, Gabbard said. Her office has released tens of thousands of pages of material related to the assassinations of President John F. Kennedy and his brother, New York Sen. Robert F. Kennedy, on the orders of President Donald Trump. Experts had predicted the process could take many months or even years, but AI accelerated the work by scanning the documents to see if they contained any material that should remain classified, Gabbard said during her remarks at the Amazon Web Services Summit in Washington. 'We have been able to do that through the use of AI tools far more quickly than what was done previously — which was to have humans go through and look at every single one of these pages,' Gabbard said. The intelligence community already relies on many private-sector technologies, and Gabbard said she wants to expand that relationship instead of using federal resources to create expensive alternatives. 'How do we look at the available tools that exist — largely in the private sector — to make it so that our intelligence professionals, both collectors and analysts, are able to focus their time and energy on the things that only they can do," she said. Gabbard, who coordinates the work of 18 intelligence agencies, has vowed to shake up America's spy services. Since assuming her role this year, she has created a new task force to consider changes to agency operations as well as greater declassification. She also has fired two veteran intelligence officers because of perceived opposition to Trump, eliminated diversity, equity and inclusion programs and relocated the staff who prepare the President's Daily Brief to give her more direct control.


The Independent
36 minutes ago
- The Independent
Undocumented migrant framed for threatening Trump is eligible for release
A Mexican man facing deportation after being framed for sending a threatening letter to Donald Trump could be released in the coming days. A Chicago immigration judge ruled on Tuesday that Ramón Morales-Reyes, 54, was not a threat to the public and set his bond at $7,500. 'Today's decision gives us hope that he can be by our side again,' Morales-Reyes's daughter Ana said in a statement via the organization Voces de la Frontera. 'We are so grateful to the judge and to the community for supporting us.' The Department of Homeland Security insists the 54-year-old is still a threat. 'While this criminal illegal alien is no longer under investigation for threats against the President, he is in the country illegally with previous arrests for felony hit and run, criminal damage to property, and disorderly conduct with domestic abuse,' Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. The Independent has contacted Morales-Reyes's lawyer for further comment. Reyes was arrested in May in Wisconsin after initially being thought to be the author of letters containing threats to Donald Trump and immigration agents. 'We are tired of this president messing with us Mexicans – we have done more for this county than you whites – you have been deporting my family and now I think it is time Donald J. Trump get what he has coming to him,' the phony letter read. Homeland Security officials initially celebrated the arrest of Morales-Reyes, who they said was an 'illegal alien who threatened to assassinate President Trump,' while attorneys and family members of the man said the letter couldn't be valid since Morales-Reyes can't speak or write in English. Last week, Wisconsin man Demetric D. Scott admitted to writing the letters under the Mexican man's name, in the hopes of getting him deported to prevent his testimony in a robbery case, according to officials. In an interview with police in May, Scott 'admitted that he wrote everything on the letters' and 'believed the letters were the simplest way to get Morales-Reyes 'off his back,' according to court documents obtained by Wisconsin Public Radio. Scott was allegedly recorded on a call from a Milwaukee County jail detailing the scheme to frame the immigrant to prevent him from testifying about a 2023 robbery in which authorities say Morales-Reyes was the victim. '[I]f he gets picked up by ICE, there won't be a jury trial so they will probably dismiss it that day,' Scott said, per court records. Scott, 52, was charged earlier this month with identity theft, intimidating a witness and two counts of bail jumping over the alleged scheme. The charges add to previous allegations of armed robbery, aggravated battery, second-degree recklessly endangering safety and bail jumping over a 2023 incident in which he allegedly attacked Morales-Reyes with a corkscrew while he was riding a bicycle, leaving him with a lung abrasion. Scott insisted the bicycle had been stolen from him and Morales-Reyes had previously threatened him. DHS said in a statement that Morales-Reyes entered the U.S. unlawfully at least nine times between 1998 and 2005. The 54-year-old immigrant's family says he is in the process of seeking a U visa for survivors and witnesses of violent crime. If Morales-Reyes is unable to post bond, removal proceedings begin on July 10. Homeland Security can appeal the bond decision.