US Northern Command has ordered about 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles, a move Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth says is needed “to restore order” while the National Guard surges to the city.
The first leathernecks could be on the streets as early as Tuesday, bolstering roughly 4,000 Guard troops already mobilized since the weekend.
Military officials insist the Marines will perform only “support” functions—crowd control, perimeter security and protection of federal property—under Title 10 authorities, pointedly stressing that the Insurrection Act has not been invoked. The Pentagon says the Marines “will seamlessly integrate with the Guard” and have been trained on “de-escalation” tactics.
California Governor Gavin Newsom branded the order “a blatant abuse of power,” vowing to sue the Trump administration and warning that checks and balances are “crumbling.” He argues that federalizing troops without state’s consent violates both state sovereignty and federal statutes.
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LAPD Chief Jim McDowell cautioned that federal forces arriving “absent clear coordination” create “significant logistical and operational challenges” and risk confusing rules of engagement on already tense streets. The department maintains it has “decades of experience” managing large demonstrations without outside troops.
Weekend protests over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids have been sizable but largely peaceful; observers noted many Guard soldiers spent the first 48 hours “sitting in federal buildings without orders,” according to Newsom.
Legal scholars say the White House is walking a thin line as deploying active-duty forces domestically is lawful only under narrow conditions. The last comparable use of Marines in Los Angeles came after the 1992 Rodney King riots, when 1,500 Marines operated under a tightly coordinated state-federal joint command. In contrast, today’s move proceeds over the explicit objections of both the governor and city officials—an unprecedented configuration that could invite swift judicial review.
Los Angeles officials say the immigration-focused protests have stretched into a fourth night with more than 170 people now in custody—about 100 arrested late Monday on top of 72 over the weekend—and at least five LAPD officers, several protesters and an Australian TV journalist treated for injuries; no fatalities have been reported.
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