US Sends 700 Marines to LA Amid Immigration Protests

Post by : Bianca Suleiman

Photo: Reuters

The US military is sending around 700 Marines to Los Angeles on Monday. This is being done to help keep things under control during big protests happening in the city. These protests are against President Donald Trump's strict immigration rules.

The protests have now entered their fourth day, and the situation is getting tense. The Marines are only being sent for a short time and will support the National Guard troops who are already in the city.

The Trump administration has ordered that over 2,000 more National Guard soldiers be sent to LA. This means that the total number of National Guard members could go up to more than 4,000 by the middle of the week. However, the Pentagon has not used a special law called the Insurrection Act yet. This law would allow the military to take direct control in law enforcement. Officials say they are trying to avoid that step for now.

An unnamed official said, “A battalion will be sent, but right now, the Insurrection Act won’t be used. The situation could change anytime.”

After Trump’s decision to send 2,000 more National Guard troops to Los Angeles, California Governor Gavin Newsom said that only 300 troops have actually been deployed. He added, “The rest are sitting in federal buildings without any orders.”

Governor Newsom shared his anger on social media. He wrote, “The first 2,000? They were given no food or water. This isn’t about public safety. It’s about pleasing a dangerous President’s ego. This is reckless, pointless, and disrespectful to our troops.”

This is one of the biggest military actions inside the US in recent times during public protests. On Sunday, the first 300 National Guard troops arrived in LA, as the protests became more intense. The federal government gave the order to send them, but this has upset many state leaders.

The National Guard is usually shared by both the US government and state governments.

California Sues Trump Over National Guard Orders
California’s Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the state is suing the Trump administration. He said this action is "an unlawful abuse of power" and that it weakens the power of the state. He said, “We don’t take it lightly when the President misuses his power and wrongly sends California’s National Guard troops.”

Many people in Los Angeles are very upset about the military in their city. The protests started after the government began tough actions like large-scale workplace raids and fast-track deportations. People say sending soldiers to stop protests feels like treating them like enemies, not citizens.

President Trump defended his decision. On Monday, he said, “The city would have been completely destroyed if we hadn’t sent in the Guard.”

With the new order from Trump, over 4,100 National Guard members are now involved in trying to handle the growing protests in Los Angeles.