US Northern Command stated the troops are being deployed to safeguard federal property from demonstrators.
The Pentagon is sending active-duty Marines to help manage the unrest in Los Angeles, which began following the arrests of individuals suspected of being in the country illegally.
Approximately 700 Marines from the 1st Marine Division will be involved in protecting “federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area,” according to a statement released by US Northern Command on Monday.
These Marines will provide support to the National Guard, whose presence is expected to reach 2,000 members by Wednesday, as reported by Reuters.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated on X, “We have a responsibility to defend federal law enforcement officers, even if Gavin Newsom won’t.” The Pentagon later announced that “an additional” 2,000 National Guard members would be mobilized to assist immigration agents and police.
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the Marines against protesters, calling it “un-American.”
Newsom wrote on X, “They shouldn’t be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president.” He had previously urged Trump to recall the National Guard, claiming their deployment was “unlawful,” escalatory, and violated California’s rights as a US state.
The demonstrations began on Friday after immigration authorities arrested over 40 individuals at a Home Depot parking lot and at the Ambiance Apparel clothing manufacturer on suspicion of using “fictitious employee documents.” Protests against Trump’s strict immigration policies quickly escalated into looting and violent confrontations with law enforcement.
Rioters set vehicles on fire and broke into businesses, while police used pepper balls and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. News agencies report that at least 56 people were arrested over the weekend.
Trump condemned the “insurrectionists,” and promised to protect law enforcement officers. He wrote on his Truth Social platform, “IF THEY SPIT, WE WILL HIT, and I promise you they will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before. Such disrespect will not be tolerated!”
During his campaign, Trump pledged to tighten restrictions on illegal immigration and increase deportations. According to Axios, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller directed immigration agents last week to increase their daily arrest quota from 1,000 to 3,000.
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