The approximately 700 Marines deployed by the Trump administration after protests erupted against its immigration raids arrived in the Los Angeles area, the U.S. Northern Command said on Tuesday. The arrival came despite furious opposition from California’s governor.
A spokeswoman for the command, Becky Farmer, said she could not comment further on their specific location.
Sending in the Marines was a significant escalation by the administration, which also deployed around 4,000 National Guard troops it said were needed to protect federal personnel and buildings in Los Angeles. The administration has deployed active-duty military forces even as protests in Los Angeles and the surrounding area were relatively muted on Monday, with only scattered reports of violence and arrests.
Top California officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, the mayor of Los Angeles, have said the use of troops was unnecessary and counterproductive. Mr. Newsom said on social media that deploying Marines on U.S. soil was illegal and “a blatant abuse of power” that his administration would sue to stop.
“The absurdity of threatening the people of the United States of America with their own military is morally reprehensible,” he said in a separate social media post on Monday.
Mr. Newsom and Ms. Bass have accused President Trump of starting the unrest by ordering immigration raids last week in Los Angeles. In the demonstrations that followed, protesters clashed with law enforcement officers. In some parts of the city, cars were burned and government buildings were painted with graffiti.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday that the Marines were being deployed to “restore order” and fulfill the administration’s obligation to protect federal officers.
The military said on Monday that the Marines heading to Los Angeles were a part of Task Force 51, which also includes around 2,100 National Guard troops. The U.S. Northern Command said the troops in the task force had been trained in crowd control and de-escalation.
Earlier Monday, the command posted images on social media of what it said were Marines preparing to deploy in the greater Los Angeles area. Two photos showed soldiers in combat uniforms holding assault rifles next to a row of armored vehicles. Another showed soldiers standing in formation holding riot shields.
Earlier on Monday, Mr. Trump described the protesters as “insurrectionists” but did not say that he would invoke the 1807 Insurrection Act, under which he can use the military to directly quell the protests.
California filed a federal lawsuit on Monday over the Trump administration’s move to take control of the state’s National Guard and deploy troops to Los Angeles, describing the president’s actions as illegal.
The use of active-duty Marines has also caused concern among city and state officials as well as legal experts. The military, under tradition and law, is supposed to be used on U.S. soil only in the rarest and most extreme situations.
Qasim Nauman is a Times editor in Seoul, covering breaking news from around the world.
John Yoon is a Times reporter based in Seoul who covers breaking and trending news.
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