US deploys 700 Marines to Los Angeles as protests turn violent
A flash bomb explodes on the 101 Freeway near the metropolitan detention centre in downtown Los Angeles. (AP pic)
LOS ANGELES : The US military will temporarily deploy about 700 Marines to Los Angeles until more National Guard troops can arrive, marking another escalation in President Donald Trump's response to street protests over his aggressive immigration policies.
A US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said a battalion would be sent on temporary duty until more National Guard troops could reach the scene. For now, the Trump administration was not invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow troops to directly participate in civilian law enforcement.
The official added the situation was fluid and could change.
US Marines have been deployed domestically for major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Sept 11, 2001, attacks. They are known for being 'first in, last out' in US military interventions abroad, but it is extremely rare for US military troops to be used for domestic policing matters.
Using them for police matters is certain to raise further objections from Democrats, who have accused Trump of unnecessarily escalating tensions in Los Angeles.
Earlier on Monday, Trump said he would support the arrest of California's Gavin Newsom, after Newsom vowed to sue the federal government over the deployment of National Guard troops to Southern California, calling it an illegal act.
As Los Angeles faced a possible fourth day of protests over immigration raids in the city, Democrats and Republicans clashed over what has become the biggest flashpoint in the Trump administration's aggressive efforts to deport migrants living in the country illegally.
Trump deployed the National Guard after street protests on Friday that turned violent over the weekend. He said on Monday he felt he had no choice but to order the deployment to prevent the violence from spiraling out of control.
California officials called the deployment an overreaction to events on the ground. Newsom said on Monday that Trump's actions were an 'unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.'
'We are suing Donald Trump,' Newsom said on X. 'This is a manufactured crisis. He is creating fear and terror to take over a state militia and violate the US constitution.'
California attorney general Rob Bonta said in a release that his office had sued. Reuters could not immediately confirm that a lawsuit had been filed.
Federal law allows the president to deploy the Guard if the nation is invaded, if there is 'rebellion or danger of rebellion,' or the president is 'unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.'
California's suit accuses Trump of exceeding his authority under the statute and asks a court to declare his actions as unlawful.
Returning to the White House on Monday after a night at Camp David, Trump was asked by a reporter whether his border czar, Tom Homan, should arrest Newsom. Homan has threatened to arrest anyone who obstructs immigration enforcement efforts, including the governor.
'I would do it if I were Tom. I think it's great,' Trump replied. 'Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing.'
The White House and congressional Republicans contended the protests were a further reason for Republicans in Congress to pass Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill' that would increase border security and military spending.
The bill, now in the US Senate after clearing the US House of Representatives, would also slash taxes, cut Medicaid benefits and do away with green-energy initiatives.
'We need the One Big, Beautiful Bill to pass ASAP!' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X.
On guard
US Northern Command said 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed to three spots in the Los Angeles area. The department of homeland security said the Guard's mission was to protect federal buildings.
On Monday, law enforcement officers stood at intersections surrounding the Edward R Roybal Federal Building, which houses the detention facility where many detained immigrants were sent after ICE actions in Los Angeles neighbourhoods.
Some National Guard troops stood at the vehicle entrance to the detention center. Anti-ICE graffiti covered walls and windows of the federal building and teams worked to cover the slogans with paint.
Hundreds of protesters gathered near Los Angeles City Hall for a rally in support of detained union leader David Huerta. They waved placards calling for Huerta's release and chanted in Spanish 'we are all David Huerta.'
Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people who are in the country illegally and to lock down the US-Mexico border, setting the ICE border enforcement agency a daily goal of arresting at least 3,000 migrants.
For Democrats, lacking leadership since Trump won the presidential election last November, the Los Angeles protests have served as a rallying point, allowing them to find some political footing while standing up to the administration's policies.
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