US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth on Sunday warned that active-duty Marines are on “high alert” and could be deployed to Los Angeles if ongoing protests against federal immigration raids continue to escalate. The statement has drawn immediate condemnation from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the Donald Trump administration’s behaviour “deranged”.
Hegseth’s threat of military deployment came as the clashes between demonstrators in the Democrat-ruled state and the federal administration intensified.
The escalating protest situation in Los Angeles follows a series of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that began on Friday, leading to dozens of arrests. These demonstrations, which have seen protesters confront federal agents, have at times turned violent, with reports of tear gas and flash bangs being deployed.
Hegseth, a close ally of President Trump, tweeted, “The Department of Defence is mobilising the National Guard IMMEDIATELY to support federal law enforcement in Los Angeles. And, if violence continues, active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilised — they are on high alert”.
President Donald Trump on Saturday ordered the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard troops under federal command to Los Angeles to “address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.”
This move, which typically occurs in consultation with state governors, was undertaken by the federal government without the usual collaborative approach, according to Governor Newsom.
Newsom swiftly responded to Hegseth’s threat, saying, “The Secretary of Defence is now threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens. This is deranged behaviour”.
He further accused the Trump administration of intentionally trying to provoke a reaction, stating that the federal government is deploying the National Guard “not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle. Don’t give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully”.
The use of active-duty military personnel for domestic law enforcement is viewed as a highly contentious issue, generally restricted by the Posse Comitatus Act. Exceptions to this act, such as the Insurrection Act, can be invoked by a president in dire situations. Critics argue that deploying federal military forces against civilian protesters sets a dangerous precedent and undermines civil-military relations.
The protests highlight a clash between Democratic-led Los Angeles — home to a large Hispanic and immigrant population — and the Republican-led White House under Trump, which has made strict immigration enforcement a cornerstone of his second-term agenda.
Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass can’t do their jobs “then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”
“These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will not be tolerated. Also, from now on, masks will not be allowed to be worn at protests. What do these people have to hide, and why??? Again, thank you to the National Guard for a job well done!,” he said in another tweet.
White House aide Stephen Miller has described the protests as a “violent insurrection,” a narrative echoed by Vice President JD Vance who stated, “Insurrectionists carrying foreign flags are attacking immigration enforcement officers”.
