The showdown between California and the White House escalated late Monday as violent protests over immigration arrests gripped downtown Los Angeles. According to reports, the Trump administration is planning to deploy Marines to the riot-hit city.

Around 700 Marines have been mobilized to reinforce National Guard troops already stationed there.California Governor Gavin Newsom responded to the deployment of the National Guard by declaring the mobilization a “serious breach of state sovereignty.” He joined Attorney General Rob Bonta in announcing a lawsuit against the Trump administration.Trump, meanwhile, justified the use of military forces as a necessary response to what he labelled “violent, instigated riots.”

The president has blamed “professional agitators” and “insurrectionists” for the unrest, promising that any disrespect shown to troops would be met with a severe crackdown. “They will be hit harder than they have ever been hit before,” he said.

As downtown LA streets smouldered with debris and the remnants of torched self-driving cars, Newsom accused Trump of “flaming the fires” and creating “fear and terror.” The protests, now in their third day, were triggered by immigration raids that many residents described as unjust and heavy-handed.

Here's the latest on the LA protests:

Marines mobilised as protests rage

700 US Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division have been formally deployed to support ongoing protests in Los Angeles, according to U.S. Northern Command. They will work alongside around 2,100 National Guard troops to safeguard federal property and personnel, including immigration agents. The Marines departed from their base in Twentynine Palms, California, on Monday and are trained in de-escalation, crowd control, and rules governing the use of force.

They will be under the command of Task Force 51, led by Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman, deputy commander of U.S. Army North.

'Deranged, dictatorial': Newsom on deployment of Marines

California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned President Donald Trump’s move, calling it a "deranged" decision by a "dictatorial" leader. “U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defence of democracy,” Newsom posted on X. “They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfil the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President.

This is un-American.”

California takes legal action

Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that California would sue the Trump administration, calling the federalisation of the state’s National Guard “unlawful.” Governor Newsom backed the lawsuit, saying, “Commandeering a state’s National Guard without consulting the governor of that state is illegal and immoral.”This marks the 24th lawsuit California has filed against Trump in just 19 weeks.

Violence continues on LA streets

Sunday saw the most intense clashes yet. Protesters hurled concrete and fireworks at police on the 101 freeway while LAPD officers responded with rubber bullets, tear gas, and flash-bang grenades. Viral footage showed an Australian reporter hit by a rubber bullet on live television.Several self-driving Waymo vehicles were set ablaze, and graffiti covered downtown buildings. Still, local officials stressed that the majority of protests remained peaceful.

“This is isolated to a few streets,” Mayor Karen Bass said. “This is not citywide civil unrest.”

What triggered the backlash?

The protests began after Immigration and Customs Enforcement carried out dozens of arrests, claiming to target gang and cartel members. However, many locals say those detained were peaceful migrants attending court hearings and complying with legal proceedings.“This is not about immigration. This is about domination of all of our communities,” said Congressman Jesus “Chuy” Garcia in a solidarity rally in Chicago.Even Trump allies voiced concern. Florida State Senator Ileana Garcia, founder of Latinas for Trump, posted, “This is unacceptable and inhumane… This is not what we voted for.”

National and global reactions

Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called on the U.S. to respect migrant rights and urged Mexicans in the U.S. to remain peaceful. The United Nations warned against further militarisation.Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer accused Trump of using the National Guard as a political distraction. “Trump should immediately revoke his command... Americans do not need or deserve this unnecessary and provocative chaos,” he said.