Trump Deploys 2,700 Troops to Los Angeles Amid Immigration Protests

President Donald Trump has escalated the federal response to protests in Los Angeles sparked by immigration raids, deploying over 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines—surpassing the number of U.S. troops currently stationed in Iraq and Syria combined. This deployment, authorized under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, aims to protect federal assets and personnel amid rising unrest but does not permit these forces to engage in direct law enforcement due to Posse Comitatus restrictions. The California governor, Gavin Newsom, has strongly opposed the move, calling Trump a “dictatorial president” and suing the administration for what he terms an unlawful escalation intended to sow chaos. Protests and riots have continued for several days, leading to dozens of arrests and widespread criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of the situation. While the Los Angeles Police Department has expressed that federal assistance may hinder local operations, Attorney General Pam Bondi has warned violent protesters of federal charges, signaling an intensified crackdown. Nationwide demonstrations have also spread in solidarity with the Los Angeles protests, highlighting the broader national tensions over immigration enforcement policies.