‘Clean Trump’s Mess’: US President orders 700 Marines, 2,000 more National Guard Members
The Pentagon is poised to send about 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles amid intensifying protests against federal immigration enforcement, said three government officials on Monday. This military build-up follows as California leaders have launched court challenges against President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops across the region.
Trump has ordered the Department of Defense to deploy another 2,000 California National Guard soldiers to the Los Angeles metropolitan region to support US Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations amid the ongoing civil unrest. The historic deployment of 700 professional military personnel along with hundreds already in place in the region poses the risk of escalating tensions within a city inhabited by millions of Latino residents.
Enormous Military Buildup in Progress
Government officials indicated that about 1,000 National Guard soldiers were under federal authority working in Los Angeles by Monday afternoon to respond to immigration-related protests. The full unit of 2,000 Guard troops originally approved by Trump was expected to arrive by evening. In a later decision Monday night, Trump authorized sending an additional 2,000 National Guard soldiers, per Associated Press coverage. This new directive brings the overall federal Guard deployment to more than 4,100 soldiers reacting to the protests.
California Initiates Legal Counterattack
On Monday, California state authorities launched legal action against President Trump, contesting the constitutionality of the National Guard deployment by the administration. State Attorney General Rob Bonta condemned the mobilization of the Guard as “unlawful” and termed it an attack on California’s sovereignty. Bonta filed the suit based on these concerns.
The lawsuit, filed with a federal court in San Francisco as reported by CNN, lists President Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the United States Department of Defense as defendants. In its argument, the complaint asserts that Trump has no constitutional right to mobilize California’s National Guard troops.
State Leadership Condemns Federal Action
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom said Monday in an MSNBC interview that he plans to file further lawsuits against the Trump administration. Newsom described the military deployment on Los Angeles’ streets as “illegal and immoral.”
The Pentagon’s deployment plan for about 700 Marines from bases in southern California was confirmed by three government officials on Monday. The sources asked to remain anonymous when talking about sensitive details of military operations. The Marine troops have extensive combat experience and crisis management skills from their deployment in war zones such as Syria and Afghanistan.
Military Command Structure and Concerns
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was directed on Marine deployment by the Joint Chiefs chairman. Hegseth, writing on social media late Saturday, said he was considering Marine deployment possibilities after meeting earlier in the day with General Dan Caine, Joint Chiefs chairman, a government official said.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell voiced concerns regarding coordination, saying his department has not received any “formal notification” of the Marines’ expected arrival in the city. McDonnell cautioned that Marines’ deployment might complicate things without police coordination.
Operational Guidelines Being Developed
Pentagon staff are writing rules of engagement for Marines deployed to Los Angeles. The order is to set out procedures the 700 Marines can use to protect federal facilities and personnel against immigration enforcement demonstrations. “Those guidelines also will contain details on the likelihood that they might briefly detain civilians until they could be transferred to law enforcement if troops are being attacked or to avert injury,” one government official stated.
Political Response and Community Impact
Governor Newsom stated he had convened “with local and state officials to clean Trump’s mess.” Writing on social media platform X, Newsom said, “Meeting with local and state officials to discuss strategies to maintain peace in Los Angeles. State and local leaders are standing together to clean Trump’s mess and pick up the pieces to ensure the safety of our communities.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the federal response, alleging that the city is being “used for an experiment” by the federal government with the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to stem immigration protests.
Social media video surfaced Tuesday claiming to depict “dozens of LA Sheriffs just rolled up with armored trucks and full tactical gear preparing for more riots,” illustrating the ongoing tension and militarized preparations across the city.