Top US Democrat slams National Guard deployment to Los Angeles

WASHINGTON

US Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer on Monday slammed President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard in response to immigration protests in Los Angeles, California.

"Trump is desperate for a diversion from ripping health care from 17 million Americans and his war with (tech billionaire Elon) Musk.

"Deploying our own armed troops on Americans is outrageous, unnecessary, and dangerously provocative," Schumer said on X.

US Northern Command (USNORTHCOM) said Monday that it will send 700 Marines to Los Angeles to help the National Guard respond to immigration protests.

"Due to increased threats to federal law enforcement officers and federal buildings, approximately 700 active-duty U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton are being deployed to Los Angeles to restore order," said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said the Marines should not be deployed on American soil "facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President. This is un-American."

On Saturday, Trump signed a memo invoking his authority to deploy a minimum of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles County after confrontations between immigration officials and protesters.

The protests began Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained hundreds of people in Los Angeles suspected to be living in the US illegally.

The Trump administration said it will continue with its ICE raids despite the protests, as part of the president's immigration crackdown.