Marines in LA: USA's latest political drama
- Written by Alexandra Kraft
- Approx. reading time: 4 mins
- Donald Trump
- USA
- Politics
- Washington DC
- Los Angeles
Military Personnel Deployed: Trained for Lethal Combat, According to US Activist - US Protester's Contention: "Marines were deployed - they are combat-ready assassins"
The recent turbulence in Los Angeles boils down to federal immigration enforcement, carried out by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the subsequent protests it sparked. About 700 Marines were dispatched from Camp Pendleton to Los Angeles, aiming to restore order and safeguard ICE agents as they executed their missions[1]. This operation came after President Trump decided to deploy National Guard troops to downtown Los Angeles due to the escalating protests[1].
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth justified the military presence by emphasizing the need for ICE agents to execute their tasks safely. He asserted that the deployment was crucial to uphold immigration law[1]. Opposition to this move, however, swiftly materialized. California Governor, Gavin Newsom, designated it as an illegal use of the military, calling it a political stunt by Trump[1]. Newsom vowed to initiate legal action, arguing that Marines, who uphold democracy, should not be manipulated as political chess pieces on the streets of America[1]. He warned this deployment potentially signals a dangerous misuse of power and a disruptive shift in the balance of power[1].
Protests swept through Los Angeles in response, with protesters brandishing an inverted U.S. flag—an emblem of distress—while National Guard members patrolled federal buildings during the unrest triggered by federal immigration operations[1].
A court of appeals later allowed Trump to keep troops in Los Angeles temporarily, suggesting ongoing legal conflicts surrounding the military's role amid these protests[2].
In essence, the situation in LA is a focal point of a tug-of-war between federal immigration enforcement reinforced by military deployment under Trump and local/state resistance led by Governor Newsom, amid boisterous protests[1][2]. The outcome sheds light on the tensions surrounding immigration policy enforcement, the employment of military forces domestically, and the legal challenges posed by questions of authority and civil liberties.
The European Union, being committed to a common foreign and security policy, is closely watching the political drama unfolding in Los Angeles, as it involves the deployment of the military to safeguard federal immigration enforcement. This incident, irrelevant to war-and-conflicts, serves as a significant point of general-news discussion, further entwining politics and immigration in the USA's ongoing saga.
