In a rare and controversial move, U.S. Marines deployed to Los Angeles temporarily detained a civilian on Friday, marking the first known instance of such action by active-duty troops sent under orders from former President Donald Trump. The military confirmed the detention as protests continue to swell across the country in opposition to Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies.
The Marines, who had assumed control of the Wilshire Federal Building earlier in the day, were dispatched to the city amid ongoing demonstrations sparked by recent immigration raids. Photos captured by Reuters showed uniformed Marines restraining a civilian with zip ties before handing him over to personnel from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
In a statement, a spokesperson for U.S. Northern Command acknowledged the incident, explaining that active-duty troops are permitted to conduct temporary detentions in specific situations. “Any temporary detention ends immediately when the individual can be safely transferred to appropriate civilian law enforcement,” the statement read.
Roughly 200 Marines arrived in Los Angeles Friday morning following President Trump’s extraordinary decision to deploy federal forces — including National Guard troops — to the city. The decision was made over strong objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom, setting the stage for an escalating legal and political standoff between the state and the federal government.
The detained civilian, as reported by the Gurdain, identified as 27-year-old Marcos Leao, is an Army veteran and naturalized U.S. citizen who said he was on his way to the Department of Veterans Affairs when he inadvertently crossed into a restricted area. Speaking to reporters after his release, Leao described the incident as respectful. “They’re just doing their job,” he said and the Guardian reported.
While Los Angeles streets remained mostly calm Friday morning, tensions across the country continued to mount. Protests have erupted in cities including New York, Chicago, Seattle, and Austin, with organizers planning mass demonstrations under the banner “No Kings” on Saturday. The protests are timed to coincide with Trump’s military parade in Washington D.C., an event critics argue resembles authoritarian pageantry and is aimed at bolstering Trump’s image rather than promoting national unity.
The parade, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army and Trump’s 79th birthday, is expected to feature thousands of troops, tanks, and a live message from space. Modeled after France’s Bastille Day celebration but drawing comparisons to military displays in North Korea, China, and Russia, the event is projected to cost up to $45 million.
Organizers of the No Kings protests have intentionally avoided Washington D.C., choosing instead to demonstrate at nearly 2,000 locations nationwide to divert attention from the capital’s spectacle. “The flag doesn’t belong to President Trump. It belongs to us,” the protest movement said in a statement.
Meanwhile, legal challenges to Trump’s deployment of troops continue. A federal judge on Thursday ruled in Newsom v. Trump that the president had unlawfully bypassed congressional procedures in sending troops to Los Angeles. The administration immediately appealed, and a higher court paused the injunction until a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.
In a podcast interview, Governor Newsom accused Trump of lying about having consulted him regarding the deployment, calling the former president a “stone cold liar.” The federal-state clash has renewed concerns about the militarization of domestic law enforcement and the potential suppression of civil liberties.
Military families and some National Guard members have also expressed discomfort with their role. “Deploying military force against our own communities isn’t the kind of national security we signed up for,” said Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative. Chris Purdy of the Chamberlain Project echoed this, reporting low morale among deployed troops.
Elsewhere in Los Angeles County, sporadic unrest and arrests have continued. In Paramount, a protester named Jose Manuel Mojica was charged with assaulting a federal officer. And on Thursday, Democratic Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed and handcuffed at a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after attempting to question immigration enforcement practices.
Footage of Padilla’s removal has gone viral, prompting outrage among Democrats and mixed reactions from Republicans. Padilla later warned that if a U.S. senator could be treated that way, “what happens to everyday civilians detained by ICE?”
As protests gain momentum and legal battles intensify, the clash between federal authority and democratic dissent continues to unfold on the streets and in the courts.
