Pentagon sends 700 Marines to Los Angeles, escalating response to protests

The Trump administration is sending about 700 active duty Marines to reinforce the National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles, the US Northern Command said Monday of a move continuing an escalation that California officials have called unwarranted.The unit “placed in an alert status over the weekend” from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division “will seamlessly integrate with” National Guardsman “who are protecting federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area,” the Northern Command said in a press release.
“The activation of the Marines is intended to provide Task Force 51 with adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency,” it said of the National Guard-lead effort.
The Task Force 51 is now comprised of approximately 2,100 National Guard soldiers and the 700 active-duty Marines, all of whom have been “trained in de-escalation, crowd control, and standing rules for the use of force.,” the command said.Sending active-duty Marines marks an escalation in force from President Donald Trump in response to protests over immigration raids. California Governor Gavin Newsom had earlier criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for saying Marines could be deployed, calling the threat “deranged behavior.”

US law generally bars the use of the active-duty armed forces — the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines — from carrying out domestic law enforcement. The law doesn’t apply to state-controlled National Guard forces. On Sunday, Trump signed an order directing the US Northern Command to assume control of the National Guard and dispatch at least 2,000 soldiers to the area.In that order, he said Hegseth “may employ any other members of the regular Armed Forces as necessary” to help.

Newsom has formally requested the White House rescind the “unlawful” order to send in the National Guard and return the troops to his command, warning it would only heighten tensions. The governor said that California is going to sue the administration over the action.

At a White House event on Monday, Trump said he deployed the Guard because local officials were “overwhelmed” and indicated that he was prepared to “bring in more if we needed.”

“We have to make sure there’s going to be law and order,” Trump said. Asked about the use of Marines, the president appeared unaware that they were headed to Los Angeles.

“Let’s see what happens,” he said. “I think we have it very well under control.”

Earlier in the day, Trump had suggested he was willing to arrest Newsom over his handling of the crisis. Asked to explain his rationale for such a threat, Trump said Newsom’s “crime is running for governor because he’s done such a bad job.”