LAPD chief: Police had "no formal notification" of Marines' deployment to LA
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Protesters face off with LAPD officers in Los Angeles on June 8. Photo: Benjamin Hanson/Middle East Images via AFP/Getty Images
The Los Angeles Police Department raised concerns Monday about the deployment of some 700 Marines to LA in response to four days of fiery protests sparked by federal immigration raids.
The big picture: The state's Democratic leaders have pushed back against President Trump's invocation of the military into the state to shut down protests against federal immigration enforcement.
Driving the news: U.S. Northern Command announced Monday that about 700 Marines were activated to the Los Angeles area to protect federal personnel and property.
- "They are providing support to prevent the destruction or defacement of federal government property including crowd control and establishment of security perimeters," NORTHCOM told Axios in an email.
- "These personnel are also protecting federal officials from harm or threat of bodily injury while those officials execute their duties."
Zoom in: LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said in response to the announcement that the department had received "no formal notification" about the Marines' arrival in LA.
- "The possible arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles — absent clear coordination — presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city," the police chief said in a statement.
- He said LAPD and it partners are confident in their ability to manage the large-scale demonstrations, and urged for open and continuous lines of communications between all agencies to "prevent confusion" and "avoid escalation."
- Representatives for NORTHCOM and the White House did not immediately respond to Axios' Monday evening requests for comment on McDonnell's remarks.
What they're saying: California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said it was "un-American" for the Marines to be deployed to LA to respond to protest unrest.
- "U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes," he said on X.
- "They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President," Newsom said.
State of play: Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to LA for 60 days over the weekend.
- Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on X Monday that the Defense Department was acting on an order from Trump to mobilize "an additional 2,000 California National Guard to be called into federal service to support ICE & to enable federal law-enforcement officers to safely conduct their duties."
- Newsom issued a scathing response on X to the decision to increase the National Guard's presence and announced the state was working to add more than 800 additional state and local law enforcement officers into LA "to clean up President Trump's mess."
More from Axios:
- Trump says he'd arrest Gov. Newsom
- Trump-Newsom feud boils over during immigration protests in LA
- National Guard in LA: What they can do after Trump called them in to quell protests
Editor's note: This article has been updated with comments from chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
