The military has activated roughly 700 Marines to possibly join National Guard troops responding to ICE protests in Los Angeles, per CBS News.
Marine Corps members, who could start arriving in L.A. as early as Tuesday (June 10), will “seamlessly integrate” with hundreds of National Guard troops already deployed to protect “federal personnel and federal property,” the U.S. Northern Command said in a statement. According to the military, the Marines have been trained in “de-escalation, crowd control, and standing rules for the use of force.”
On Monday (June 9), Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said 700 Marines “are being deployed to Los Angeles to restore order.”
The possible deployment of the Marine Corps comes after protests broke out in L.A. on Friday (June 6) over immigration raids happening throughout the city. President Donald Trump accused protestors of enacting violence against ICE agents and federal property and deployed National Guard troops to downtown Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, June 11, the U.S. Conference of Mayors’ President Columbus (OH) Mayor Andrew Ginther released the following statement on the situation in Los Angeles, California”
“The streets of American cities are no place for the U.S. military. Law enforcement is a local responsibility, and America’s mayors support Mayor Bass as she works with state authorities to promote order in her city. Protest, carried out peacefully, is a bedrock of our democracy. However, violence, theft, and destruction of property can never be tolerated. We have every confidence that Mayor Bass and state officials can manage the situation. The authorities there have the experience, training and resources to maintain peace and protect the rights of legitimate protestors.
“With crime plummeting across the country, mayors have demonstrated their ability to promote public safety. Troops should never be deployed to cities without the request of state and local authorities. The U.S. Conference of Mayors stands firmly behind the rights of mayors to determine the best public safety strategies for their individual cities. We urge the president to work constructively with local and state authorities as we all strive to make our cities and the nation stronger.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the deployment, saying the state of California would be suing the Trump administration for the illegal federalization of the National Guard. Newsom said Monday that he would also take legal action over the planned use of Marines.
“U.S. Marines serve a valuable purpose for this country — defending democracy. They are not political pawns. The Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying them onto American streets so Trump can have a talking point at his parade this weekend. It’s a blatant abuse of power. We will sue to stop this. The Courts and Congress must act. Checks and balances are crumbling. This is a red line — and they’re crossing it. WAKE UP!” Newsom said in a statement.
When asked Monday about the possibility of deploying Marines in Los Angeles, Trump said, “We’ll see what happens.”
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDowell said in a statement that his agency had decades of experience handling protests and large-scale public demonstrations.
“The arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles — absent clear coordination — presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city,” McDowell said.
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