Washington — Roughly 700 active-duty U.S. Marines have arrived in the Los Angeles area to support National Guard forces responding to ongoing protests over federal immigration enforcement, a defense official confirmed Tuesday. Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed a federal lawsuit seeking to block the deployment of troops onto city streets.
The Marines are joining about 2,100 California National Guard personnel already stationed across Los Angeles, Paramount, and Compton. A Pentagon official testified to Congress that the cost of deploying both the National Guard and the Marines is estimated at $134 million.
In a 28-page court filing, California Attorney General Rob Bonta requested a temporary restraining order to prevent the federal government from using active-duty Marines and federalized Guard troops for law enforcement activities in civilian areas. The request sought an emergency ruling by 1 p.m. Tuesday, but the judge instead granted the Trump administration a 24-hour window to respond and scheduled a hearing for Thursday.
“Federal antagonization, through the presence of soldiers in the streets, has already caused real and irreparable damage to the City of Los Angeles, its residents, and the State of California,” the filing states. “They must be stopped, immediately.”
Importantly, California’s legal challenge does not seek to block troops from guarding federal facilities or personnel. Rather, the state is asking for a narrowly tailored order that would prevent the military from engaging in immigration enforcement or domestic policing.
The U.S. Northern Command confirmed Monday that Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division — based in Twentynine Palms — had been activated in preparation for deployment. The command emphasized the Marines would work alongside National Guard forces to protect federal personnel and property and had received training in de-escalation, crowd control, and rules for use of force.
A military official noted that the Marines are stationed at a staging site in the Los Angeles area awaiting further orders. Marine Corps Commandant Gen. Eric Smith, speaking to the Senate Armed Services Committee, said the deployed Marines are equipped with shields and batons and have received appropriate training. However, he clarified that they do not have arrest authority and are not involved in direct law enforcement.
Under federal law, active-duty military personnel cannot be used for domestic policing unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act — a measure President Trump has not taken. When asked Tuesday if he would invoke the act, Trump said, “If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We’ll see.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth testified Monday that the deployment aims to “restore order” in the city. Addressing lawmakers on Tuesday, Hegseth defended the decision, stating, “We believe ICE agents should be allowed to safely carry out their duties, and we’ve deployed National Guard and Marine units to ensure they can do so. Immigration law must be enforced.”
