Trump doubles deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles and mobilizes Marines

Donald Trump appears unwilling to back down from his hardline approach to the Los Angeles protests . The US president confirmed on Monday that he will deploy twice as many National Guard troops as initially planned, from 2,000 to 4,000, in addition to the deployment of 700 marines ready to intervene. However, the fourth day of protests passed without serious incidents following the violence, roadblocks, and clashes with the Los Angeles police on Sunday.

Tensions mounted outside the Metropolitan Detention Center , the federal building guarded by the National Guard and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. A gathering of a few hundred protesters was pushed back to nearby streets by police. What had been a peaceful demonstration for much of the afternoon became increasingly marred by clashes with officers, who fired impact munitions. Around 9 p.m., arrests were made against those who had not yet left the demonstration.

Trump has called them "insurrectionists" and justified sending the National Guard and the army to end "the invasion of migrants" that is preventing the liberation of Los Angeles, in his own words, comments that the city's mayor, Karen Bass , considers "despicable," accusing Trump of having sown chaos in a city that on Thursday was at peace and where "nothing was happening."

Bass suspects the Republican president is experimenting with a large sanctuary city like Los Angeles before moving on to other major cities across the country. "This makes me feel like our city is really a test case of what happens when the federal government steps in and takes authority away from the state or local government," he said.

Governor Gavin Newsom , for his part, believes the presence of not only the National Guard but also the Marines is unnecessary, a decision he believes Trump has made to instill "more fear, more anger, and to further divide." On Monday, Trump said he would welcome the idea of ​​arresting Newsom after Tom Homan , his border czar, floated the idea of ​​arresting anyone who obstructs immigration processes, including the California governor. "That would be a great thing," the President said.

In addition to Los Angeles, protests have occurred in other cities such as Dallas and San Francisco, where a group of residents marched through the streets of the Mission , a neighborhood with a strong Latino tradition. In New York, Mayor Eric Adams stated that he will not tolerate scenes similar to those in Los Angeles.

David Huerta , the activist and union leader who has become a symbol of the fight against ICE raids across the country, was released from custody on Monday. Huerta was arrested Friday by federal agents while protesting an immigration raid at a garment factory in downtown Los Angeles. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to obstruct an officer and was released on $50,000 bail.