As many as 700 Marines have been mobilized by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to support a total of 2,000 National Guard troops deployed by President Donald Trump in an effort to quell protests against his immigration policies in Los Angeles.
They are there in a supporting role and are prohibited from conducting law enforcement activity, such as arrests, unless the Insurrection Act is invoked.
There were violent clashes on Sunday night, after demonstrators took to the streets against ICE raids targeting migrants. Cars were set on fire, looting was reported in downtown LA, and 27 people were arrested.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has sued the administration over the deployment of the Guard, which he believes has inflamed the situation, claiming it was illegal because he did not request the assistance.
Trump said that if it were up to him, he would arrest the governor after Newsom dared Tom Homan to, following comments the border czar made to NBC.
“I would do it if I were Tom; I think it’s great. Gavin likes the publicity,” the president said.
Further demonstrations are taking place today, with MayorKaren Bass appealing for peaceful conduct.
ANALYSIS: How Trump just made Gavin Newsom’s day by sending the National Guard to Los Angeles — politically, anyway
Eric Garcia writes:
In response, Trump seconded his “border czar” Tom Homan’s threat that he might arrest the governor. “I would do it if I were Tom,” Trump told reporters. Just the day before, in an interview with NBC News, Newsom had all but dared Homan to arrest him.
The move gave Newsom, who has never been able to conceal his aspirations for higher office, an incredible surge of media attention just after he received months of public derision. In truth, Trump’s war on Los Angeles has given California’s Democrats, who have long been beleaguered, a new life.
Read on…
‘It’s right there on tape’: NBC News reporter who Trump border czar called ‘very dishonest’ fires back
NBC News correspondent Jacob Soboroff pushed back on Monday after Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan claimed he was “taken out of context” and that Soboroff deceptively edited his comments about threatening to arrest California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
“It’s right there on the tape,” Soboroff said on Monday, airing a clip of Homan saying that Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could be jailed if they “crossed the line” with federal officials.
Justin Baragona reports.
In pictures: Thousands gather to protest charges against union leader David Huerta
Union leaders from across California led the crowd in chants of “Free Huerta now!”
They urged people to exit the area peacefully at the conclusion of the rally.
Trump raising cash off Los Angeles protest mayhem with ‘attack on the homeland’ email
The subject line in the latest message reads: “Looking really bad in LA!”
Alex Woodward reports.
Marines expected in LA in next 24 hours, report says
ABC News reports: “The Marines are expected to arrive over the next 24 hours according to the official. They will be tasked with a support role, helping law enforcement only.”
As with National Guard troops, Marines are prohibited from conducting law enforcement activity, such as arrests, unless the Insurrection Act is invoked.
Trump deployment leaves National Guard sleeping on floor
Photos have emerged of National Guard troops mobilized by the Trump administration sleeping on the floor following their deployment to Los Angeles without a request from Governor Gavin Newsom.
The San Francisco Chronicle was first to publish a photo of troops sleeping on steel and concrete floor, with the governor sharing another picture soon after.
Addressing President Donald Trump, Newsom wrote: “You sent your troops here without fuel, food, water or a place to sleep. Here they are — being forced to sleep on the floor, piled on top of one another.”
He added: “If anyone is treating our troops disrespectfully, it is you @realDonaldTrump.”
The governor made the post in response to the latest Truth Social missal from the president that called protesters in Los Angeles “insurrectionists” and implied they might spit on guardsmen and women.
“Such disrespect will not be tolerated,” Trump wrote, twice repeating the phrase: “If they spit, we will hit.”
Full Marine battalion mobilized to respond to LA protests, report says
“We’ll see what happens,” President Donald Trump said when asked if he is going to send Marines to quell protests in Los Angeles.
CNN reports that a full Marine battalion, approximately 500 Marines based in Twentynine Palms, California, has been mobilized to respond to further unrest in the city.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered them to prepare to deploy over the weekend.
Reporter Natasha Bertrand tweets: “The deployment of the full Marine battalion marks a significant escalation in Trump’s use of the military as a show of force against protesters, but it is still unclear what their task will be once in LA, the sources said. Like the National Guard troops, they are prohibited from conducting law enforcement activity like making arrests unless Trump invokes the Insurrection Act.”
Newsom: ‘Trump admits he will arrest a sitting governor simply because he ran for office’
Trump says he would bring in more National Guard if needed
Speaking at this afternoon’s White House investment roundtable, President Donald Trump said he would send more National Guard troops to Los Angeles if needed.
“If I didn’t get involved, if we didn’t bring the Guard in – and we would bring more in if we needed it, because we have to make sure there’s going to be law and order – you had a disaster happening … They were overwhelmed, you saw what was happening.”
Dr. Phil denies he was ‘embedded’ with ICE agents during LA raid that sparked the protests – but his TV cameras were
A spokesperson for the conservative TV personality, whose real name is Phil McGraw, said he was not filming on the ground alongside immigration officials as he had previously done in Chicago as to avoid escalating the situation.
James Liddell and Isabel Keane report.
Source: independent.co.uk