In response to escalating protests over President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement policies, the U.S. military will temporarily deploy 700 Marines to Los Angeles starting Monday. The move comes as part of a broader effort to bolster security, with demonstrations now stretching into their fourth consecutive day.

The Marines are being sent to support National Guard troops already deployed throughout the city. The Pentagon confirmed that over 4,100 National Guard members are expected to be on the ground by mid-week, after the Trump administration ordered the deployment of 2,000 additional Guard troops.

Despite the large-scale mobilization, Pentagon officials have not yet invoked the Insurrection Act, which would authorize direct military involvement in law enforcement duties. “A battalion will be sent, but for now, the Insurrection Act is not expected to be invoked,” said a defense official, speaking anonymously. “The situation is fluid and could change.”

California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the move sharply, stating that only 300 troops had actually received active deployment orders so far. “The rest are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders,” he tweeted. “The first 2,000? Given no food or water. This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego. This is reckless. Pointless. And disrespectful to our troops.”

This marks one of the most significant military responses to domestic unrest in recent U.S. history. The initial 300 National Guard troops were deployed on Sunday, coinciding with the most intense day of protests in Los Angeles so far. These forces, deployed under federal orders, have drawn fierce backlash from state leaders, including California Attorney General Rob Bonta, who filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Monday.

“We don’t take lightly to the President abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilising California National Guard troops,” Bonta stated, calling the deployment an “unlawful abuse of power” and an affront to state sovereignty.

The protests were triggered by a renewed federal crackdown on immigrants, including large-scale workplace raids and fast-track deportation orders. As federal troops arrive, tensions in Los Angeles continue to mount, with demonstrators voicing concern over what they see as a militarised response to civil dissent.

President Trump defended the decision, saying, “The city would have been completely obliterated if we hadn’t sent in the Guard.” According to the Pentagon, the latest order brings the total number of National Guard personnel on federal duty in Los Angeles to more than 4,100.