As violent riots continued to spread across Los Angeles, President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of 700 U.S. Marines to join 2,100 National Guard troops forming “Task Force 51” to stabilize the city and protect federal property.
The mobilization follows days of unrest triggered by protests over immigration enforcement, which rapidly devolved into chaos.
U.S. Northern Command confirmed Monday that the Marines, drawn from a battalion at Twentynine Palms, were activated to support California National Guard troops already operating under Title 10 status. Task Force 51, a joint military operation, has been trained in crowd control, de-escalation tactics, and strict rules of engagement.
“The activation of the Marines is intended to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency,” a statement from Northcom read.
Violence reached a boiling point over the weekend as protesters shut down major thoroughfares like the 101 Freeway and set fire to multiple autonomous Waymo vehicles. Officers in riot gear were pelted with bottles and concrete, and at least one Australian reporter was struck by a rubber bullet while broadcasting live. Law enforcement reported 56 arrests by Monday evening.
California Governor Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for deploying troops without his approval. On X, he accused the president of “abuse of power” and claimed the federal response was exacerbating tensions.
At the same time, Newsom announced he would send over 800 additional law enforcement officers—including 640 from the California Highway Patrol and others from surrounding counties—to try to contain the unrest.
Newsom has also escalated his feud with the administration, publicly taunting border czar Tom Homan in an interview: “Come after me. Arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy.” When asked about the exchange, Trump appeared amused, saying Newsom was “a nice guy, but he’s grossly incompetent.”
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested that the riots may be coordinated and financially backed. Speaking to Fox News, Noem said investigators have evidence that the protests were organized by professional agitators who used signals, tactics, and pre-positioned equipment such as bricks and face shields.
“These are people that are being paid to do this,” Noem said. “This is an operation, and it’s professionally done… We’re going to stop it and make sure that we prosecute every single one of them.”
She later posted a message to the rioters on social media: “You will not stop us or slow us down. @ICEgov will continue to enforce the law.”
With tensions mounting, Trump has remained firm in his stance. He has ordered the National Guard and Marines to maintain order and assist ICE in enforcing federal immigration law, regardless of opposition from state officials.