US Marines were deployed to Los Angeles on Friday, the military said, in a rare domestic use of its forces after days of protests over immigration raids and as nationwide demonstrations were expected on Saturday, in the biggest backlash since President Donald Trump returned to power.
About 200 Marines will protect a federal building in Los Angeles, Army Major General Scott Sherman said on Friday. The administration has authorized a total of 700 Marines to be deployed in the city. Neither the Marines nor National Guard troops in the city have temporarily detained anyone, he added.
"I would like to emphasize that the soldiers will not participate in law enforcement activities," he said during a briefing. It is uncommon for active-duty troops to be used domestically during civil disturbances.
The last time the military was used for direct police action was in 1992, when the California governor at the time asked then President George HW Bush to invoke the Insurrection Act to help respond to Los Angeles riots over the acquittal of police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King. A court decided on Thursday that Trump can keep his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles for now.
The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals' decision temporarily paused a lower court ruling that blocked the mobilization, although it does not mean the court will ultimately side with him.
"We saved LA. Thank you for the Decision!!!" Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. The Trump administration "far overreached its authority," the California Attorney General's office said, adding that it remained confident in its case ahead of making arguments to court on Tuesday.
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