Publication Date: June 9, 2025

Overview
The U.S. federal government has deployed approximately 700 active-duty U.S. Marines to Los Angeles to support 2,000 federalized California National Guard troops in response to protests over immigration enforcement raids. The protests, ongoing since June 6, 2025, have turned violent in some instances, with reports of bricks, cinderblocks, and fireworks or incendiary devices thrown at law enforcement. The federalization of the National Guard, ordered without California Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent, has sparked legal and political tensions. State and local authorities, including the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), are working to maintain order, while California officials challenge the federal actions as unlawful and inflammatory.

Facts

• On June 6, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted raids in Los Angeles, arresting 118 individuals for alleged immigration violations.
• Protests began the same day, with crowds gathering outside federal facilities, including the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and Metropolitan Detention Center.
• On June 7, President Donald Trump signed a memorandum federalizing 2,000 California National Guard troops under Title 10 authority, bypassing Governor Newsom’s approval.
• By June 9, approximately 300 National Guard troops were deployed to Paramount, Compton, and downtown Los Angeles to protect federal personnel and property.
• On June 9, the U.S. Northern Command confirmed 700 Marines from Twentynine Palms, California, were mobilizing to augment National Guard efforts.
• LAPD reported 70 arrests over the weekend, including 29 on June 7 and 21 on June 8, with charges ranging from failure to disperse to attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail.
• Historical context: The last federalization of a state’s National Guard without gubernatorial consent occurred in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed troops to protect civil rights marchers in Alabama.

Perspectives

• President Donald Trump: In a Truth Social post on June 9, 2025, Trump stated the National Guard deployment prevented Los Angeles from being “completely obliterated” by “violent, instigated riots,” asserting federal intervention was necessary due to state leaders’ incompetence.
• Governor Gavin Newsom: In a June 8 statement on X, Newsom called the federalization “purposefully inflammatory” and an “illegal” spectacle, urging peaceful protests and announcing a lawsuit to challenge the deployment as unconstitutional.
• Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass: On June 8, Bass stated on CNN that the National Guard deployment was unnecessary, as local law enforcement was sufficient, warning that further federal actions could spark “pandemonium.”
• Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California: Following the arrest of SEIU leader David Huerta on June 6, the union issued a statement on June 9 demanding his release and condemning ICE raids as targeting workers, asserting Huerta was peacefully observing operations.
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California: In a June 8 statement, the ACLU condemned the National Guard deployment as “akin to a declaration of war on Californians,” announcing plans to sue to protect communities from federal overreach.

Considerations

• The federalization of state National Guard units without gubernatorial consent sets a precedent that could strain state-federal relations in future crises.
• Deploying active-duty Marines for domestic protests risks violating the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits federal military involvement in civilian law enforcement unless authorized by law.
• Ongoing ICE raids, planned for 30 days in Los Angeles, may escalate tensions in communities with significant Hispanic and immigrant populations.
• California’s sanctuary city policies, limiting cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, complicate coordination between local and federal agencies.
• The use of military forces in response to protests could erode public trust in federal institutions, particularly in Democratic-leaning regions.
• Short-term de-escalation efforts by local law enforcement may be undermined by federal actions perceived as provocative.
• Long-term, legal challenges to federal authority may clarify the balance of power between states and the federal government in domestic security operations.

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