- Marines have arrived in the Los Angeles area, preparing for deployment.
- California’s governor declares that “democracy is under threat.”
- Protests have spread across several U.S. cities, remaining largely peaceful.
On Tuesday, hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived in the Los Angeles area under orders from President Donald Trump, as the city’s mayor instituted a curfew for parts of downtown, resulting in 197 arrests amidst ongoing protests.
The presence of Marines heightened tensions in America’s second-largest city, while California’s governor stated that “democracy is under threat.”
Trump’s remarkable decision to deploy the National Guard and Marines to manage protests, sparked by his immigration enforcement initiatives, has led to persistent demonstrations in Los Angeles and ignited protests in various other cities.
As Trump and Governor Gavin Newsom exchanged criticisms, the Los Angeles mayor indicated that the protests were confined to a few downtown streets, yet enacted a curfew in response to violence and looting.
Another 197 individuals were arrested on Tuesday alone, marking a significant increase in total detentions.
Democratic leaders voiced concerns over this escalating crisis, which has emerged as a critical battleground in the Trump administration’s efforts to deport undocumented immigrants while suppressing dissent.
“This blatant misuse of power by a sitting president exacerbated an already volatile situation, jeopardizing the safety of our citizens, our officers, and even our National Guard,” Newsom said in a video address. “He opted for escalation—more force, more theatrics over public safety… Democracy is under threat.”
Newsom, who is seen as a potential 2028 presidential candidate, labeled the troop deployments as an unlawful waste of resources. He and the state filed a lawsuit against Trump and the Defense Department on Monday to hinder the troop deployment. Trump, in response, suggested that Newsom should be arrested.
Re-elected last year primarily on his commitment to deport undocumented immigrants, Trump defended his actions in a speech to troops at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, stating, “Generations of Army heroes did not sacrifice their lives for us to witness our country being destroyed by unchecked chaos.”
“What you see happening in California is a direct attack on peace, public order, and national sovereignty, perpetrated by rioters waving foreign flags,” Trump declared, adding that his administration would “liberate Los Angeles.”
Protesters have displayed flags from Mexico and other nations in support of the migrants affected by a series of escalating raids.
Homeland Security reported that its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) division had been making approximately 2,000 arrests per day recently, a significant increase from the average of 311 daily during the previous fiscal year under President Joe Biden.
Street Unrest
On Tuesday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a curfew for a one-square-mile area in downtown, effective from 8 PM to 6 AM for several days.
Just minutes before the curfew took effect, hundreds of protesters faced law enforcement with their hands raised, chanting for a “peaceful protest.”
However, state and local officials have criticized Trump’s response as an excessive reaction to predominantly peaceful demonstrations.
Bass reinforced the distinction between the majority of peaceful protesters and the smaller group of individuals she blamed for inciting violence and looting.
The imposition of the curfew followed the looting of 23 businesses on Monday night, prompting Bass to take action.
“Once these peaceful gatherings conclude and demonstrators head home, a different group surfaces: opportunists who exploit the cover of peaceful protests to wreak havoc,” remarked City Council member Ysabel Jurado, who represents the affected area.
As city officials spoke, clashes occurred between police and protesters outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, where many detained migrants remain. Various groups of demonstrators wove through downtown Los Angeles, monitored by police equipped with non-lethal munitions.
Other protests erupted in cities such as New York, Atlanta, and Chicago, with protesters clashing with officers. In Chicago, some demonstrators climbed onto the Picasso sculpture in Daley Plaza, calling for the abolition of ICE.
Christina Berger, 39, expressed her heartbreak over children living in fear of being separated from their families due to immigration raids, stating, “I simply want to offer hope to my friends and neighbors.”
Marines on Standby
Approximately 700 Marines were stationed in the Seal Beach area, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles, awaiting deployment to designated locations, according to a U.S. official.
The U.S. official further noted that there were 2,100 National Guard troops in the Los Angeles area on Tuesday, quickly approaching the total of 4,000 planned for activation. The Marines and National Guard personnel do not have the authority to make arrests and are tasked solely with safeguarding federal property and personnel.
Nonetheless, California Attorney General Rob Bonta expressed concerns about the involvement of federal troops in protecting personnel, indicating that this could violate an 1878 law that generally prevents the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from engaging in civilian law enforcement.
“Protecting personnel likely entails accompanying ICE agents into communities, which could mean safeguarding ICE’s enforcement of immigration law,” Bonta explained.
On Tuesday, ICE shared images on social media showing National Guard troops accompanying ICE officers during immigration raids. Officials from the Trump administration have vowed to intensify immigration enforcement in response to the protests.
