California unrest: Pentagon sends Marines, Governor strongly opposes
The Pentagon will deploy active-duty Marine Corps units to help quell riots in Los Angeles sparked by the arrest of suspected illegal immigrants.
The move immediately drew harsh criticism from the Governor of California, creating a tense confrontation between the federal and state governments.
The US Northern Command said on June 9 (local time) that about 700 Marines from the 1st Marine Division will help protect "federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area."
The Marines will support National Guard units. The National Guard presence on the streets is expected to increase to 2,000 by June 11, according to Reuters.
“We have an obligation to protect federal law enforcement officers – even if Gavin Newsom doesn’t,” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth wrote on social media X.
Then late on June 9, the Pentagon announced that “an additional” 2,000 National Guard members would be deployed to support immigration agents and police.
Responding to this decision, California Governor Gavin Newsom harshly criticized President Donald Trump's actions in mobilizing the Marines to deal with protesters, calling it an "un-American" act.
“They should not be deployed on American soil to confront their own citizens to satisfy the insane fantasies of a dictatorial president,” Newsom wrote on X.
He had previously called on President Trump to withdraw the National Guard, saying the "illegal" deployment only escalated tensions and infringed on California's rights as a US state.
Protests erupted on June 6 after immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people in a Home Depot parking lot and at an Ambiance Apparel factory on suspicion of using “false employee identification.” The rallies, which denounced President Trump’s hardline immigration policies, quickly turned into looting and violent clashes with police.
Rioters set cars on fire and broke into stores, while police fired tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse the crowds. At least 56 people were arrested over the weekend, according to news agencies.
President Trump condemned the "insurrectionists" and vowed to defend law enforcement officers. "Such disrespect will not be tolerated!" the president wrote on his Truth Social platform.
During his election campaign, Mr. Trump pledged to crack down on illegal immigration and increase deportations.
According to Axios news site, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller last week instructed immigration agents to increase their daily arrest quota from 1,000 to 3,000 people.