United States President Donald Trump on Monday, June 9, 2025, ordered U.S. Marines into Los Angeles and intensified raids on suspected undocumented immigrants in the area.
700 Marines based in Southern California were expected to reach Los Angeles on Monday night or Tuesday morning, officials said.
This was part of a federal strategy to quell street demonstrations opposing the immigration raids, which are a part of a signature effort of Trump’s second term.
Although their mission to protect federal personnel and property is temporary – filling the gaps until a full contingent of 4,000 National Guard troops can reach Los Angeles – the deployment is an extraordinary use of military force in support of a police operation, and it comes over the objection of state and local leaders who did not request help.
Meanwhile, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem pledged to carry out even more operations to round up suspected immigration violators, extending a crackdown that provoked the protests.
Trump threatens to arrest California governor over Guard deployment
Trump officials have branded the protests as lawless and blamed state and local Democrats for permitting upheaval and protecting undocumented immigrants with sanctuary cities, Reuters reported.
The military and federal enforcement operations have further polarized America’s two major political parties as Trump, a Republican, threatened to arrest California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, for resisting the federal crackdown.
California sued the Trump administration to block deployment of the National Guard and the Marines on Monday, arguing that it violates federal law and state sovereignty.
U.S. Marines are known as the first American forces to establish a beachhead in U.S. military interventions, and as the last forces to leave any occupation.
Though military forces have been deployed domestically for major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the attacks of September 11, 2001, it is extremely rare for troops to be used domestically during civil disturbances.
Even without invoking the Insurrection Act, Trump can deploy Marines under certain conditions of law or under his authority as commander in chief.
The last time the military was used for direct police action under the Insurrection Act was in 1992, when the California governor at the time asked President George H.W. Bush to help respond to Los Angeles riots over the acquittal of police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King.
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