Trump Deploys Marines and National Guard to Los Angeles Amid Escalating Immigration Protests

President Trump escalated the government's response to Los Angeles riots following vicious ICE immigration raids. The administration doubled the National Guard deployment to 4,000 and deployed approximately 700 active-duty Marines a very rare domestic troop deployment on June 10 under the pretext of securing federal property and law enforcement.

Trump labeled the protests a "foreign invasion," threatening on Truth Social that in the absence of soldiers, "that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground," even citing an inflated number of "25,000 houses" burned. He also suggested possible recourse to the Insurrection Act should there be continued disturbances.

California Governor Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass condemned the deployment. Newsom labeled it an "authoritarian abuse of power" and made his office's statement that they have filed a lawsuit opposing the move as unconstitutional federal overreach. Bass declared a curfew in some parts of downtown LA from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. as a step to avoid acts of vandalism and looting.

Protests, initially peaceful have grown in number, with over 197 being arrested on June 10 alone. While many have been peaceful, there has been an escalation of clashes employing rubber bullets and tear gas. Specifically, journalists covering the unrest were targeted by less-lethal rounds an Australian journalist was struck on live television.

Critics contend the military deployment is a violation of the 19th-century prohibition against deploying troops domestically and that the Pentagon had to establish new use-of-force regulations for the Marines. California is asking a federal judge to enjoin troop authority beyond the protection of federal property; a hearing is scheduled for June 12.

The demonstrations have also generated solidarity marches across other cities such as San Francisco and New York, sparking concerns at a national level regarding immigration enforcement, state-federal authority, and civil rights. With tensions escalating, the confrontation remains ongoing with no immediate solution in sight.