U.S. Marines Deployed to L.A. Amid ICE Raid Unrest

Los Angeles has become a flashpoint after aggressive ICE enforcement operations triggered protests and prompted President Trump to federalize California’s National Guard—an unprecedented move reflecting deep tensions over immigration policy and federal authority.

The debate over federal immigration authority, which intensified during the Biden administration, has now escalated dramatically under President Donald Trump, who has federalized California’s National Guard to suppress public dissent.

ICE Raids Trigger Protests and Heavy Federal Response

On June 6 and 7, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched coordinated raids across several Los Angeles County neighborhoods including Boyle Heights, South Gate, Compton, and Paramount. According to both ICE reports and immigrant rights advocates, the operations resulted in over 100 arrests. Community members and activists have condemned the raids as disproportionately targeting Latino neighborhoods, fueling a surge of resistance and anger.

Eyewitnesses described a heavy-handed approach by federal agents, with videos circulating on social media showing ICE agents deploying flash-bang grenades near residential areas and forcibly detaining individuals outside grocery stores and apartment complexes. Several parents were reportedly forced to abruptly leave children’s graduation ceremonies when ICE appeared nearby, sending children into lockdown and leaving some confused and separated from their guardians, according to local reports and eyewitnesses. The raids were reportedly supported by tactical Homeland Security officers operating unmarked federal vehicles, contributing to a militarized atmosphere on the streets.

Local immigrant advocacy groups such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) condemned the raids as “coordinated acts of state violence,” while thousands gathered Friday night to protest, blocking intersections and chanting slogans like “No ICE in LA” and “Immigrants are not criminals.”

The protests escalated over the weekend. In Paramount, demonstrators surrounded a federal convoy, leading to several vehicles being damaged or set on fire, as reported by The Guardian. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) responded with riot gear and dispersal orders, while National Guard troops took strategic positions outside federal courthouses and ICE facilities.

Federal Troop Deployment Sparks Political Backlash and Legal Concerns

In a rare and controversial step, President Trump issued an executive order invoking Title 10 of the U.S. Code, enabling federal control over approximately 2,000 California National Guard troops, thereby overriding the authority of Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom immediately condemned the federalization as “a provocation, not a peacekeeping mission,” accusing the administration of “occupying our communities against our will,” as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Legal experts caution that while the president has the authority to federalize National Guard forces under Title 10, the absence of a formally declared insurrection complicates the constitutional justification. Erwin Chemerinsky, Dean of UC Berkeley Law, called the situation “a constitutional stress test,” warning of a significant expansion of executive power that challenges the traditional balance between state and federal authority, as covered by the Los Angeles Times.

Amid growing unrest and legal uncertainty, the Department of Defense confirmed that 700 active-duty U.S. Marines are being deployed to Los Angeles in a support capacity. The Marines, drawn from Twentynine Palms and Camp Pendleton, are being sent under contingency plans to bolster the National Guard’s presence and safeguard federal infrastructure. Pentagon officials emphasized that the Marines will not engage in law enforcement duties due to restrictions under the Posse Comitatus Act, but their presence represents a major escalation in federal military involvement in a domestic crisis.

The Pentagon’s decision comes as part of broader planning in case the unrest continues to intensify. The Marines are expected to coordinate closely with Guard units already positioned throughout Los Angeles and to remain on standby for crowd control and logistics support. Defense analysts note that the move marks one of the most significant active-duty domestic deployments in California since the 1992 Rodney King riots.

On Sunday morning, National Guard units were observed coordinating with LAPD and Homeland Security agents in key areas such as Union Station, MacArthur Park, and the Westlake District. Reports indicated the establishment of checkpoints on freeway exits leading into downtown Los Angeles, restricting access as tensions remain high, documented by NBC Los Angeles.

Civil liberties organizations, including the ACLU of Southern California, expressed alarm over the militarization of the city, warning that the presence of federal troops threatens to suppress constitutionally protected protests and escalate violence.

Protesters Marked as “Deserters and Enemies of the State”

President Trump has intensified his rhetoric surrounding the protests, branding demonstrators as the “enemy within” in a Truth Social post. He accused protesters of being “paid instigators” and “enemies of the state,” framing the unrest as a threat to national security rather than legitimate civic dissent.

This rhetoric, combined with militarized enforcement, has sparked comparisons to historical authoritarian regimes. Civil liberties scholars and activists have invoked the Gestapo—Nazi Germany’s secret police—not as hyperbole, but to draw attention to a growing pattern: secretive raids, targeted ethnic enforcement, and the criminalization of dissent.

“Like the Gestapo, ICE is employing euphemisms such as ‘administrative transfer,’ ‘security concern,’ or ‘status review’ to bypass due process. … Like the Gestapo, ICE now deploys fear as policy: fear of seizure, of surveillance, of disappearance into a remote detention center with no legal remedy.”

Conversely, conservative commentators have defended the federal response. Fox News host Laura Ingraham hailed the deployment as “a necessary show of strength in a lawless sanctuary state,” and Republican members of the House Homeland Security Committee have called for similar crackdowns in cities like New York and Chicago, according to Fox News.

A City on Edge

As of Sunday afternoon, more than 130 arrests had been made in connection to the protests. Major freeways, including the 110 and 101, experienced intermittent blockades. Protest leaders announced plans for a coordinated rally at Los Angeles City Hall, demanding a moratorium on ICE enforcement and the immediate withdrawal of federal troops, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

The Los Angeles Police Department has sought to position itself as a neutral actor, emphasizing its role in protecting life and property without suppressing political expression. LAPD Chief Dominic Tran stated, “We are here to protect life and property—not to police political speech,” as quoted in KTLA News. Yet, for many residents in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods, the lines between law enforcement and political repression are increasingly blurred.

This rapidly evolving situation highlights critical tensions between federal authority, civil liberties, and community autonomy. The use of federal troops to suppress protests connected to immigration enforcement raises pressing questions about democratic governance, executive power, and the future of immigrant rights in America.