US deploys Marines to Los Angeles as Trump backs arrest of California governor
California National Guard members protect the Federal Building, covered in graffiti following protests triggered by immigration raids, in Los Angeles, on 9 June, 2025.
Photo:
RONALDO SCHEMIDT / AFP
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 11 September, 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."
NEW: We are suing Donald Trump.
This is a manufactured crisis. He is creating fear and terror to take over a state militia and violate the U.S. constitution.
The illegal order he signed could allow him to send the military into ANY STATE HE WISHES.
Every governor -- red or…
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."
Immigrant rights supporters protest outside of the Department of Justice headquarters in Washington, DC.
Photo:
BRYAN DOZIER / AFP
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.
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 centre. 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 3000 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.
- Reuters
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Analysis by Aaron Blake , CNN Photo: RONALDO SCHEMIDT The country hangs on a hugely significant precipice, as President Donald Trump moves toward making good on his long-running suggestions of an extraordinary step: deploying the military on US soil. About 700 Marines have now been mobilized to join the National Guard in Los Angeles to deal with demonstrations over federal immigration raids, CNN reports. The Marines were previously on "ready to deploy" status. (It is still unclear what their specific task will be once in Los Angeles, sources told CNN. And like the National Guard troops, they are prohibited from conducting law enforcement activity such as making arrests unless Trump invokes the Insurrection Act.) But to hear the White House tell it, this show of force is not just the right thing to do but also a political winner. Responding to a poll showing 54% of Americans approved of Trump's deportation program , White House spokesman Steven Cheung wrote on X Sunday, "And the approval number will be even higher after the national guard was sent to LA to beat back the violence this weekend." But whether the American people actually want this military activation isn't nearly so clear. Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT In fact, they've rejected such things in the past. The administration may be making a huge gamble on the American people's tolerance for a heavy-handed federal response. And while Americans might not have much sympathy for the demonstrators in Los Angeles who engage in violence or for undocumented immigrants, recent surveys have shown they often say Trump goes too far in his attempts to address such problems. There is something of an analog for the current situation. It came in 2020 when federal law enforcement suddenly moved to clear Lafayette Square, near the White House, of racial justice demonstrators, resulting in violent scenes. This wasn't the military, but it was controversial - in part because Trump then walked across the square with military leaders for a photo-op. (Then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper also resisted Trump's suggestions of using active-duty military at the time.) The American people did not like what they saw. A USA Today/Ipsos poll conducted a week later showed 63% of Americans opposed the use of rubber bullets and tear gas that day. It also showed Americans opposed deploying military forces in other states by 10 points, 51-41%. Similarly a CNN poll conducted by SSRS at the time asked a broader question - whether it would be appropriate for a president to "deploy the U.S. military in response to protests in the United States." Americans said this would be "inappropriate" by a wide margin, 60-36%. All of which suggest Americans are predisposed to viewing such actions skeptically. US President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office at the White House. Photo: Getty Images/CNN Newsource These numbers come with caveats, though. The CNN poll question is a great window into how this could be received. But it's possible people's views have shifted or could shift with circumstances, including the role the Marines end up playing in Los Angeles. Back in 2020, the racial justice protests were relatively popular, and people didn't view them as particularly violent. Americans sympathized with the cause, believing George Floyd had been murdered by police. It's too early to tell how people view the demonstrators in Los Angeles. And the plight of the undocumented immigrants whom the administration is trying to deport is probably less sympathetic than the racial justice protesters' cause. 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While Americans generally favor mass deportation, those numbers decline significantly when you mention the prospect of deporting otherwise-law-abiding people with jobs and those who have been in this country for a long time. (For example, a recent Pew Research Center poll showed Americans opposed deporting undocumented immigrants who have jobs, 56-41%, and they opposed deporting the parents of US citizen children 60-37%.) But the raids that set off the protests have been directed at workplaces generally - not necessarily at criminals or gang members. The Department of Homeland Security has claimed at least five of the people arrested during Sunday immigration sweeps in Los Angeles had criminal convictions or were accused of crimes. Photo: ETIENNE LAURENT Through it all, the administration has made a rather Machiavellian political calculation: that however much people dislike the means, their support for the ends will carry the day. 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Otago Daily Times
3 hours ago
- Otago Daily Times
Marines deployed to LA, Trump backs arrest of governor
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. The US Northern Command said a battalion would be sent to help protect federal property and personnel 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, according to a US official speaking on condition of anonymity. Tensions have been rising since Trump activated the National Guard on Saturday - an act that Democrats have labelled an unnecessary provocation - after street protests erupted in response to immigration raids in Southern California. It is the biggest flashpoint yet in the Trump administration's aggressive efforts to deport migrants living in the country illegally. Trump said on Monday he felt he had no choice but to order the deployment to prevent acts of violence from spiralling out of control. He supported a suggestion by his border czar that California Governor Gavin Newsom be arrested, after the Democrat said California was suing to block deployment of the National Guard. The Trump administration has argued that Democratic President Joe Biden's administration allowed far too many immigrants to enter the country and Democratic-run cities such as Los Angeles are improperly interfering with efforts to deport them. Street demonstrations have continued each day since Friday, when activists clashed with sheriff's deputies. On Monday, hundreds of protesters assembled outside a downtown detention centre where immigrants were detained and at another site. Amid a heavy law enforcement presence, protesters carried signs denouncing the Trump administration while a band played Mexican music. Additional rallies were planned in more than a dozen cities, including Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, New York City and San Francisco. At issue is whether military force - the National Guard or the Marines - is needed, as leading Republicans have maintained, or if it is an abuse of presidential power, as Democrats contend. US Marines have been deployed domestically for major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the September 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. Trump could deploy Marines under certain conditions of law or under his authority as commander in chief. Without invoking the Insurrection Act, the Marines, like the National Guard, would still be subject to a legal prohibition that prevents them from directly enforcing civilian laws and would likely be limited to protecting federal personnel and property. The last time the military was used for direct police action under the Insurrection Act was in 1992, when the California governor at the time asked former President George H.W. Bush for aid in response to the Los Angeles riots over the acquittal of police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King. Even if only as a support role, using Marines in the context of a police matter is certain to raise further objections from Democrats, who have accused Trump of unnecessarily escalating tensions in Los Angeles. "The level of escalation is completely unwarranted, uncalled for, and unprecedented," Newsom's press office said on X. 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 centre. 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.
