US President Donald Trump has ordered the temporary deployment of about 700 Marines to Los Angeles, as he pledged those protesting his aggressive immigration policies would be “hit harder” than ever. Monday was the fourth straight day of protests in Los Angeles, where hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside a federal detention centre holding immigrants.

Police reportedly threw flash bangs and shot rubber bullets at protesters in downtown Los Angeles after telling people clogging the streets to “clear the area” on a loudspeaker. Demonstrators outside a federal detention centre shouted “Pigs go home!” at National Guardsmen in riot gear guarding the facility.

Some protestors also banged on the sides of unmarked vehicles as they passed through police containment lines. A crowd converged on the center, where they chanted “Shame! Shame! Shame!” at federal troops.

Thousands More Troops In LA

After Trump’s order, the US military said a battalion of Marines would be sent to help protect federal property and personnel until more National Guard troops could reach the scene. US Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, said that due to increased threats to federal law enforcement officers and federal buildings, approximately 700 active-duty US Marines from Camp Pendleton are being deployed to Los Angeles to restore order.

“We have an obligation to defend federal law enforcement officers - even if (California Governor) Gavin Newsom will not,” he said in a post on X.

Earlier, Trump said on Monday he felt he had no choice but to order the deployment to prevent violence from spiralling out of control.

But, for now, the Trump administration was not invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow troops to participate directly in civilian law enforcement, a US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told news agency Reuters.

The Los Angeles police chief, Jim McDonnell, said his department had not received any formal notification that the Marines would arrive in the city. The deployment “presents a significant logistical and operational challenge,” he said.

The state of California has, meanwhile, sued the Trump administration to block deployment of the National Guard and the Marines on Monday, arguing that it violates federal law and state sovereignty. California Governor Gavin Newsom also informed that Trump is deploying another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, after his initial deployment of 2,000 troops.

US Marines have been deployed domestically for major disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the September 11, 2001, attacks, but it is extremely rare for US military troops to be used for domestic policing. Federal law allows the president to deploy the National Guard if the nation is invaded, if there is “rebellion or danger of rebellion,” or if the president is “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”

Therefore, Trump could deploy Marines under certain conditions of law or under his authority as commander in chief. Without invoking the Insurrection Act, the Marines, like the National Guard, would still be prevented from directly enforcing civilian laws and would likely be limited to protecting federal personnel and property.

The last time the military was used for direct police action under the Insurrection Act was in 1992, when the California governor at the time asked President George HW Bush to help respond to the Los Angeles riots over the acquittal of police officers who beat Black motorist Rodney King. More than 50 people were killed in the 1992 riots, which also caused some $1 billion in damage over six days.

Protests In LA

Tensions have been rising since Trump activated the National Guard on Saturday after street protests erupted in response to immigration raids in Southern California. It is the biggest flashpoint yet in the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to deport migrants living in the country illegally.

The protests so far have resulted in some property damage, including some self-driving Waymo vehicles that were set ablaze on Sunday evening. The Los Angeles Police Department said five officers sustained minor injuries. Police on Sunday said some protesters had thrown concrete and bottles at officers.

The Trump administration has argued that Democratic President Joe Biden’s administration allowed far too many immigrants to enter the country and that Democratic-run cities such as Los Angeles are improperly interfering with efforts to deport them. Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people who are in the country illegally and to lock down the U.S.-Mexico border, setting a goal of at least 3,000 daily arrests.

Amid unrest in LA, protests also sprang up in at least nine other U.S. cities on Monday, including New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco, according to local news outlets.

- Agencies