The Trump administration on Monday deployed U.S. Marines to Los Angeles and ramped up immigration raids, igniting a political firestorm and mass protests across the country.
Some 700 Marines from Southern California were expected to arrive in Los Angeles late Monday or early Tuesday to protect federal personnel and property during escalating street demonstrations against the raids. The military presence is temporary, filling the gap until 4,000 National Guard troops can be fully mobilized, reports Reuters.
The move drew backlash from state and local leaders, who did not request military support. California immediately filed a lawsuit challenging the deployment, citing violations of federal law and state sovereignty.
“This unprecedented move threatens to turn a tense situation into a national crisis,” warned Senator Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee. “The president is forcibly overriding the authority of the governor and mayor and using the military as a political weapon.”
Since Friday, protests have raged outside a downtown Los Angeles federal detention center, where police have dispersed crowds using gas canisters and “less lethal” rounds. On Monday, officers pushed back demonstrators with flash bangs and tear gas through the Little Tokyo area. LAPD and sheriff’s deputies were seen clashing with protesters as bystanders watched from nearby buildings.
Protests also erupted in at least nine other cities including New York, San Francisco, and Austin, Texas. In Austin, police fired nonlethal rounds and made arrests amid clashes with hundreds of demonstrators.
“What is happening affects every American, everyone who wants to live free, regardless of how long their family has lived here,” said Marzita Cerrato, 42, a first-generation immigrant whose parents are from Mexico and Honduras.
The crackdown stems from Homeland Security’s intensified efforts to detain undocumented immigrants. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said ICE has recently arrested 2,000 people per day — far above the 311 daily averages during the Biden administration.
“We conducted more operations today than we did the day before and tomorrow we are going to double those efforts again,” Noem told Fox News. “The more that they protest and commit acts of violence against law enforcement officers, the harder ICE is going to come after them.”
Mayor Karen Bass condemned the federal tactics, saying, “This is a city of immigrants.” Noem shot back, “They are not a city of immigrants. They're a city of criminals.”
Trump has gone so far as to endorse the arrest of California Governor Gavin Newsom for resisting federal actions. “I would do it if I were Tom,” he said, referencing his border czar Tom Homan. “I think it’s great.”
Newsom accused Trump of authoritarian overreach. “It is my charge as governor to call in the National Guard,” he said. “This action is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”
Though rare, domestic military use during civil unrest is not without precedent — the last time was in 1992, when President George H.W. Bush responded to the Rodney King riots at the California governor’s request.
Bd-pratidin English/FNC
