Marines prepare for LA deployment as protests spread

California will face off with the Trump administration in court on Thursday over the deployment of US troops in Los Angeles after demonstrators again took to the streets in major cities to protest President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

Some 700 US Marines will be on the streets of Los Angeles by Thursday or Friday, the military said, to support up to 4,000 National Guard troops in protecting federal property and federal agents, including on immigration raids.

Trump’s decision to dispatch troops to Los Angeles over the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom has sparked a national debate about the use of the military in law enforcement operations on US soil.

A federal judge in San Francisco will hear arguments on Thursday as part of California’s lawsuit against Trump. The state is requesting a temporary restraining order to block the troops’ participation in law enforcement activities.

In a court filing on Thursday, California argued that the federal government has already violated the law by having National Guard troops assist ICE agents in immigration raids.

Mostly peaceful street protests so far this week have taken place in multiple cities besides Los Angeles including New York, Chicago, Washington and San Antonio, Texas.

State and city officials say Trump is exaggerating what is happening in the city and that local police have the situation under control. The protests have been largely orderly but occasionally punctuated by violence, mostly contained to a few blocks. Trump is carrying out a campaign promise to deport immigrants, employing forceful tactics got him elected twice.

Split Screen

Americans will see a split screen image on Saturday on the streets of two major cities: Los Angeles, where troops are guarding federal buildings, and Washington where soldiers, accompanied by tanks and other armored vehicles, will rumble down Constitution Avenue in a rare public display of military might to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday. Nearly 2,000 protests against the parade, which is taking place on Trump’s 79th birthday are planned around.