Trump sends 200 Marines to L.A amid protests
3 Min Read
Trump’s deployment of US Marines to Los Angeles amid immigration raids has ignited a national backlash, legal battles, and mass protests, with critics accusing him of authoritarian overreach.
-
A man shouts into a megaphone outside City Hall during protests over federal immigration enforcement raids on June 11, 2025, in Los Angeles. (AP)
The first wave of US Marines ordered to Los Angeles by US President Donald Trump will be deployed Friday, the Pentagon announced, escalating tensions in a growing standoff between the administration and protesters accusing Trump of authoritarian overreach.
Around 200 Marines, part of a larger force of 700, will join 4,000 National Guard troops already stationed in the city, as local police intensify a crackdown amid unrest sparked by Trump’s aggressive immigration sweeps. Typically deployed in overseas combat zones, the Marines will be equipped with riot gear to secure a federal building starting at 12:00 p.m. (1900 GMT), Major General Scott Sherman confirmed.
Meanwhile, a legal showdown is unfolding over Trump's authority to deploy military forces domestically, just as the nation braces for mass demonstrations on Saturday. That day will also mark Trump’s oversight of a rare, large-scale military parade in Washington, held to celebrate the US Army’s 250th anniversary, and coinciding with the president’s 79th birthday. The event will feature tanks and heavy weaponry rolling through the capital for the first time in 30 years.
A growing “No Kings” movement has emerged, vowing to hold protests in over 2,000 locations nationwide in response to President Trump’s actions.
Last weekend, Trump deployed elements of the California National Guard to Los Angeles following mostly peaceful, though at times tense, demonstrations sparked by a wave of immigration raids in the city.
In a bold political move, Trump bypassed Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who typically holds authority over the Guard, and sent troops despite the governor’s objections. The president dramatically overstated the unrest, claiming that without military intervention, “Los Angeles would be burning to the ground right now.”
Trump intruding on constitutional authority
On Thursday night, District Judge Charles Breyer ruled Trump’s deployment "illegal" and ordered that control of the Guard be returned to Governor Newsom, stating that the situation in Los Angeles fell "far short" of the "rebellion" Trump described.
However, a higher court swiftly paused Breyer’s ruling, pending an appeal hearing with the Trump administration scheduled for next Tuesday.
The Justice Department sharply criticized Breyer’s ruling against Trump’s National Guard deployment, calling it "an extraordinary intrusion on the President's constitutional authority as Commander in Chief."
This legal battle, part of a broader pattern of disputes over Trump’s expansion of presidential powers, marks the first involving the use of U.S. troops. The decision to deploy Marines, albeit far from the recent protest sites, has drawn particular controversy.
Public anger continues to mount in Los Angeles over immigration raids tied to Trump’s nationwide deportation campaign. The use of masked, armed agents and uniformed soldiers has sparked protests in major cities, including San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and San Antonio.
“We are the voice for the people” said Jasmine, a protester in Los Angeles.
Tensions escalated further on Thursday when California Senator Alex Padilla was handcuffed and forcibly removed from a press conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer condemned the incident as reeking of “totalitarianism” and called for an investigation.
