On Monday, 700 Marines were mobilized to the Los Angeles area, but as of Wednesday morning, they hadn’t finished their preliminary training yet. A commander from the Northern U.S. mentioned to The Hill that there was still uncertainty about their potential deployment to the ground.
The Marines are currently engaged in pre-mission training and are not part of Task Force 51, according to a Northcom spokesperson. They noted that there’s no timeline yet for when they might be assigned.
This training includes protocols on the use of force and non-lethal weaponry.
The spokesperson added that no other active Marines have been dispatched to other locations or cities at this point.
“These Marines are responsible for protecting federal government functions, personnel, and property. This is similar to the 4,000 California State Guard troops currently deployed in Los Angeles to manage the peaceful protests regarding the Trump administration’s immigration policies,” they stated.
This recent statement differs from Northcom’s earlier announcement, which indicated that the Marines were already trained in de-escalation tactics, crowd control, and force application.
Marine Commander General Eric Smith mentioned on the same day that the Marines had undergone “more than two hours” of training and had been equipped with shields and batons.
U.S. Army Major General Scott Sherman also informed reporters that the Marines are still participating in “civil disorder training and mandatory training protocols.”
He added that security forces could temporarily detain individuals until law enforcement arrives to take over.
“They’re specifically held until law enforcement shows up to manage those protesters,” Sherman explained.
Democratic lawmakers have increasingly criticized President Trump’s decision to send U.S. service members to Los Angeles, arguing that it is an excessively disproportionate response to the circumstances.
“Deploying American troops to police American citizens is troubling. The National Guard is sent to California without the governor’s request, and Marines are being sent after American protesters, rather than responding to foreign threats,” a Democrat stated.
They added that using the military in such a capacity is unprecedented, unconstitutional, and fundamentally un-American.
In the meantime, Trump has reaffirmed his decision to deploy troops, citing a conversation with California Governor Gavin Newsom, arguing that federal agents need protection and claiming the action is constitutionally sound.
“The incompetent governors of California have failed to provide adequate protection when our ICE officers, who are true patriots, faced attack from a chaotic mob of troublemakers,” Trump remarked early Wednesday.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has consistently defended the decision to send Marines to Los Angeles, including during testimonies before Congress.
