California’s U.S. Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla are seeking answers from military officials regarding the deployment of 700 U.S. Marines to Los Angeles, a decision made without the consent of local leaders, amidst escalating protests against immigration raids in Southern California.
In a letter addressed to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, the senators expressed their concerns about the legality of the military’s intervention. They stated, “A decision to deploy active-duty military personnel within the United States should only be undertaken during the most extreme circumstances, and these are not them.”
Schiff and Padilla highlighted that the deployment occurred despite objections from state authorities, calling it “all the more unjustifiable.”
The state of California has initiated a legal challenge against the deployment, asserting in a lawsuit filed on Monday that the actions taken by the federal government are in violation of the 10th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. This amendment delineates the limits of federal power over the states.
In their correspondence, the senators sought clarification from Hegseth regarding the Marines’ mission during their deployment, including specifics about any training they received related to crowd control, use of force, and de-escalation tactics.
Additionally, they inquired whether the Defense Department had received any direction from the White House or the Department of Homeland Security concerning the scope of the Marines’ duties.
The mobilization of the Marines was executed on Monday in response to ongoing civil unrest in Los Angeles. Convoys were observed traveling west on the 10 Freeway toward the city.
Notification from the U.S. Northern Command to Congress indicated that the Marines had been dispatched to “restore order” and to assist the approximately 4,000 members of the California National Guard who had been called into action over the weekend. However, the notification did not provide crucial details concerning the legal authority, mission objectives, or rules of engagement for the Marines involved in this domestic deployment, according to the senators.
The California National Guard was initially mobilized on Saturday night, despite Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections. Historically, federal military deployments into states without a governor’s request have been rare, with the last incident occurring in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators.
President Donald Trump has asserted that the military mobilization falls under the legality of Section 12406 of Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which allows federalization of the National Guard in instances of rebellion or threats against government authority. However, this statute also stipulates that such an order must originate from the state governor.
President Trump claimed that without the military’s presence, “Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated,” and emphasized the necessity of the deployment in light of the violent protests, which have included clashes with police as well as vandalism and looting.
On Tuesday morning, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed the concerns of the community, stating that city officials had not been informed about the Marines’ specific roles, particularly since the National Guard was already stationed outside federal buildings.
Mayor Bass remarked, “This is just absolutely unnecessary. People have asked me, ‘What are the Marines going to do when they get here?’ That’s a good question. I have no idea.”
The unfolding situation raises significant questions about the appropriateness of military intervention in civil unrest and the governance of state versus federal authority.
image source from：https://www.latimes.com/politics/story/2025-06-10/schiff-demands-answers-on-unjustifiable-irresponsibly-rushed-deplyoment-of-marines-in-l-a
