Roughly 700 U.S. Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles to support the 2,000 National Guard troops already stationed there in response to a wave of protests over immigration policy that swept the city over the weekend.
The move comes under orders from the Trump administration, though the exact role the Marines will play remains uncertain. According to two Pentagon officials familiar with the operation, the Marines will not engage in direct law enforcement unless President Trump invokes the Insurrection Act—a rarely used legal authority that would permit the military to intervene in civil unrest. The officials were granted anonymity to discuss the details.
For now, the Marines are expected to provide logistical and operational support to the National Guard, which has been assisting local police since the protests intensified. Demonstrators have taken to the streets in opposition to recent immigration enforcement efforts, sparking a highly visible and, at times, tense response from authorities.
The deployment of active-duty military forces within U.S. borders is a significant escalation, raising legal and political questions as the situation unfolds. The White House has not commented on whether it plans to invoke the Insurrection Act or how long the Marines will remain in the city.
