This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/10/los-angeles-marines-trump-protests-military
The article has changed 13 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Los Angeles braces for arrival of more troops in ‘crisis of Trump’s own making’ | Los Angeles braces for arrival of more troops in ‘crisis of Trump’s own making’ |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Hegseth says military will remain in LA for 60 days in response to massive protests over federal immigration raids | |
| LA protests – live updates | LA protests – live updates |
| Los Angeles was bracing for new troop arrivals on Tuesday as the US defense secretary said he expected the military would remain in the city for 60 days in response to the massive protests over federal immigration raids and the deployment of soldiers against US residents. | |
| The initial deployment of 300 national guard troops is expected to quickly expand to the full 4,000 that has been authorized by Donald Trump, with an additional 700 marines who could begin arriving on Tuesday. | The initial deployment of 300 national guard troops is expected to quickly expand to the full 4,000 that has been authorized by Donald Trump, with an additional 700 marines who could begin arriving on Tuesday. |
| The defense secretary, Pete Hegseth, said on Tuesday military personnel would stay in Los Angeles for two months at a cost of at least $134m. Donald Trump, however, said troops would remain until there is “no danger” and said he would consider invoking the Insurrection Act. | |
| “If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We’ll see,” the US president told reporters in the Oval Office. | |
| The national guard and marine detachments were being dispatched to the US’s second largest city over the objections of California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, and local officials. The state is suing the Trump administration over the deployment, claiming the president illegally federalized the national guard to confront protesters in Los Angeles. Trump has tauntingly suggested Newsom should be arrested. | |
| California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, said on Monday that the state’s sovereignty was “trampled”. But Trump countered that his administration had “no choice” but to send in troops and argued on Tuesday that his decision “stopped the violence”. The national guard are not believed to be involved in crowd control but assigned to protect federal property. | |
| The deployment is strongly opposed by California Democrats – as well as every Democratic governor in the US. Senator Alex Padilla told the Associated Press on Tuesday that protests against the US’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) as well as the subsequent legal showdown between his state and the government “is absolutely a crisis of Trump’s own making”. | |
| “There are a lot of people who are passionate about speaking up for fundamental rights and respecting due process, but the deployment of national guard only serves to escalate tensions and the situation,” Padilla said. “It’s exactly what Donald Trump wanted to do.” | “There are a lot of people who are passionate about speaking up for fundamental rights and respecting due process, but the deployment of national guard only serves to escalate tensions and the situation,” Padilla said. “It’s exactly what Donald Trump wanted to do.” |
| Padilla said the Los Angeles sheriff’s department had not been advised of the federalization of the national guard. He said his office had pressed the Pentagon for a justification, and “as far as we’re told, the Department of Defense isn’t sure what the mission is here”. | Padilla said the Los Angeles sheriff’s department had not been advised of the federalization of the national guard. He said his office had pressed the Pentagon for a justification, and “as far as we’re told, the Department of Defense isn’t sure what the mission is here”. |
| “Los Angeles is no stranger to demonstrations and protests and rallies and marches,” Padilla added. “Local law enforcement knows how to handle this and has a rapport with the community and community leaders to be able to allow for that.” | “Los Angeles is no stranger to demonstrations and protests and rallies and marches,” Padilla added. “Local law enforcement knows how to handle this and has a rapport with the community and community leaders to be able to allow for that.” |
| Jim McDonnell, the LA police chief, said on Monday that the department and its local partners have decades of experiencing responding to large-scale demonstrations and that they were confident in their ability to continue doing so. | |
| “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,” he said. | |
| The US Northern Command, or Northcom, said in a statement on Monday that marines from the Second Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division “will seamlessly integrate” with forces “who are protecting federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area”. | |
| Northcom added that the forces had been trained in de-escalation, crowd control and standing rules for the use of force – and that approximately 1,700 soldiers from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a California national guard unit, were already in the greater Los Angeles area. | |
| On Tuesday, Hegseth testified before the House appropriations subcommittee on defense. The meeting was expected to focus on the nearly $1tn budget request for 2026, but Democrats were quick to question the defense secretary on the controversial move to deploy national guard and marines to LA. | |
| Under questioning from Peter Aguilar, US representative for California’s 33rd congressional district, Hegseth said national guard and federal forces had been sent into a “deteriorating situation with equipment and capabilities”. | Under questioning from Peter Aguilar, US representative for California’s 33rd congressional district, Hegseth said national guard and federal forces had been sent into a “deteriorating situation with equipment and capabilities”. |
| “We here to maintain the peace on behalf of law enforcement officers | “We here to maintain the peace on behalf of law enforcement officers |
| in Los Angeles, which Gavin Newsom won’t do,” he said. | in Los Angeles, which Gavin Newsom won’t do,” he said. |
| “What’s the justification for using the military for civilian law enforcement purposes in LA? Why are you sending war fighters to cities to interact with civilians?” Aguilar asked. | |
| “Every American citizen deserves to live in a community that’s safe, and Ice agents need to be able to do their job. They’re being attacked for doing their job, which is deporting illegal criminals. That shouldn’t happen in any city, Minneapolis or Los Angeles, and if they’re attacked, that’s lawless,” Hegseth replied. | |
| Betty McCollum, the top Democrat on the subcommittee, asked the secretary about the cost of the deployment, and what training and other duties the troops were missing because of their presence in Los Angeles. | Betty McCollum, the top Democrat on the subcommittee, asked the secretary about the cost of the deployment, and what training and other duties the troops were missing because of their presence in Los Angeles. |
| Hegseth said in response that Ice “has the right to safely conduct operations in any state and any jurisdiction in the country”. | Hegseth said in response that Ice “has the right to safely conduct operations in any state and any jurisdiction in the country”. |
| “The police chief said she was overwhelmed, so we helped.” | “The police chief said she was overwhelmed, so we helped.” |
| It was not immediately clear to whom Hegseth was referring. | |