Los Angeles on the edge; Trump ratchets up rhetoric, deploys 700 Marines to rein in protestors | 10 points

As Los Angeles protests spiral out of control, California Governor Newsom slams Marines' mobilisation, calls Defence Secretary’s comments “deranged behaviour.”

Tensions in California escalated on Monday as Donald Trump stayed on the offensive, with the Pentagon told to deploy around 700 Marines to Los Angeles to support National Guard troops responding to ongoing immigration protests. Meanwhile, California prepared to sue the Trump administration over the federal deployment, while demonstrations continued in the city for a fourth consecutive day.

Demonstrators stand in front of California National Guard troops, as protests against immigration sweeps continue, in Los Angeles, California, US June 9, 2025. (REUTERS)

According to US Northern Command, the Marines, sent from their base at Twentynine Palms in the Southern California desert, will be tasked with protecting federal property and personnel, including immigration agents.

The deployment comes in the wake of protests sparked by federal immigration authorities arresting more than 40 people across Los Angeles on Friday. The first confrontations erupted that day when demonstrators gathered outside a federal detention centre, demanding the release of those detained as part of Trump’s mass deportation campaign.

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Top 10 updates

1. The Marines and National Guard troops currently deployed to California are not expected to perform law enforcement duties, as the Posse Comitatus Act prohibits such roles. President Trump has not invoked the Insurrection Act, which would permit military involvement in policing, and it remains uncertain whether he plans to do so.
2. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered the mobilisation of 700 active-duty Marines on Monday to bolster the federal government’s response to the escalating immigration protests in Los Angeles. The move marks a significant escalation in the administration’s handling of the unrest.
3. California Governor Gavin Newsom criticised the decision to mobilise the Marines, calling Hegseth’s earlier remarks about the potential deployment “deranged behaviour.” Newsom has maintained that state and local authorities are capable of managing the situation without additional federal intervention.
4. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell stated Monday that he had full confidence in his department’s ability to manage large-scale demonstrations. However, he raised concerns that the arrival of the Marines, without prior coordination with the police department, created substantial logistical and operational challenges.
5. California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the state’s intent to sue the Trump administration over the deployment of National Guard troops. Bonta accused the administration of violating California’s sovereignty and trampling on states’ rights by sending troops without the governor’s consent.
6. President Trump defended his decision to deploy National Guard forces to California, asserting that the protests were disrupting federal law enforcement activities and portraying them as a potential “rebellion” against US government authority. His remarks came after several days of large demonstrations against immigration raids.
7. In response, California filed a lawsuit Monday seeking to terminate what it described as the "unlawful" deployment of federal troops in Los Angeles County. The state argues that the deployment violates both federal law and the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, as it was done without meeting legal thresholds such as rebellion, invasion, or obstruction of law enforcement.
8. Trump claimed that deploying the Guard prevented the city from being “completely obliterated.” During a subsequent White House event, he further accused California leaders of being too fearful to take necessary action. By midday Monday, around 1,000 National Guard members were already stationed in Los Angeles under federal orders, with up to 2,000 troops expected by the end of the day.
9. Meanwhile, fresh protests were erupting across Los Angeles County. Confirmed reports of federal immigration agents operating in Whittier and Huntington Park angered local activists, fueling calls for more demonstrations. Additional protests were being planned in cities across the country.
10. On Monday, thousands gathered near City Hall for a union rally in support of labour leader David Huerta, whose recent arrest during an immigration protest galvanised activists. Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union California, was released on a $50,000 bond later that day. Over the weekend, several dozen protesters were arrested, including one individual who threw a Molotov cocktail at police and another who drove a motorcycle into a line of officers.

(With inputs from agencies)