The Trump administration’s decision to deploy 700 U.S Marines to Los Angeles has triggered a political firestorm, as tensions rise in the wake of violent protests against federal immigration operations.
The protests erupted after a series of raids targeting undocumented migrants in the Los Angeles area, prompting confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents.
In the Compton neighborhood, clashes escalated over the weekend, with law enforcement firing flash-bang grenades and partially shutting down a major freeway, according to multiple reports.
On Saturday, President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 troops to the region to bolster the federal presence, a move California Governor Gavin Newsom decried as “purposefully inflammatory.”
The federal response intensified on Monday when a senior administration official told AFP that “active-duty US Marines from Camp Pendleton will be deployed to Los Angeles to help protect federal agents and buildings.”
Initially, the official cited a deployment of 500 Marines but later revised the figure to 700.
In a separate confirmation, the U.S. military stated that “approximately 700 Marines” from an infantry battalion would be sent to Los Angeles to assist in managing the unrest.
The Marines, it noted, would “seamlessly integrate” with National Guard forces already stationed in the area following President Trump’s Saturday order, a deployment issued without Governor Newsom’s approval.
The decision has sparked outrage in Sacramento, with Governor Newsom taking to X (formerly Twitter) to lambast the president.
“Deranged,” he wrote, referring to the move, and accused Trump of acting like a “dictatorial” leader.
The protests, now entering their third day, were triggered by sweeping immigration raids that many in the community and across the state have condemned as overly aggressive and racially discriminatory.
U.S Defense Secretary, Pete Hegseth initially floated the idea of deploying Marines on Saturday, a rare step given the sensitive legal constraints on using active-duty military personnel for domestic law enforcement.
The move marks one of the most significant military responses to civil unrest in recent U.S history.
