U.S. Marines Deployed to L.A. Amid Protests
The Trump administration has sent about 700 Marines to Los Angeles to restore order following four days of riots led by anti-ethnic protesters.
Initially, President Donald Trump had deployed a 2,000-strong National Guard contingent, but Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth warned that additional military support would be provided if the local officials couldn’t regain control.
“It was definitely a troubling situation. It seemed to be spiraling out of control, but, hopefully, things are looking better now,” he mentioned.
On Monday, U.S. officials confirmed to ABC news that the Marines were activated from a base in Twentynine Palms, around 145 miles from the city.
CNN reported that, legally, Marines can’t engage in any law enforcement duties unless the president officially invokes the rebellion law.
Hegseth stated on Saturday that Marines from Camp Pendleton near San Diego had received prior warnings.
He noted, “Attacks on ICE and federal law enforcement are threats to our immigration efforts, driven by dangerous criminal organizations posing a significant national security risk.” He took to social media to voice these concerns.
He further warned, “If the violence persists, we will mobilize active-duty Marines from Camp Pendleton—they are on standby.”
California Rep. Mike Levin expressed his concerns in a letter opposing the military deployment before the announcement was made.
“Using Marines for law enforcement seems highly inappropriate. Our Marines are trained for combat, not policing our neighborhoods. Mobilizing them for political theater goes against their training,” he emphasized.
Just before the news broke, President Trump addressed reporters and kept the situation ambiguous by saying, “We’ll see how things unfold.” He added, “I believe we have things under control. It definitely was a serious situation before, but now, there seems to be a better trajectory.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, both Democrats, urged protesters to avoid violence while pointing fingers at Trump for inciting unrest by sending in the National Guard and pushing for deportations.
