10 June 2025 -Vice President JD Vance on Monday (local time) made it clear that “President Trump will not back down” amid the ongoing Los Angeles protests, which erupted following an immigration crackdown last week. His remarks come as tensions escalate between President Trump and California Governor Gavin Newsom over Trump’s move to deploy thousands of National Guard troops — and now Marines — to the city.
Vance underscored that the administration would not yield to “lawlessness” and reaffirmed support for federal and local law enforcement.
Posting on X, Vance wrote: “This administration will not be intimidated by lawlessness. We will stand by the FBI agents tracking down violent criminals, by the guardsmen, local police, and Marines restoring order, and by the ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws. President Trump will not back down.”
On Saturday, Trump invoked a legal provision that permits the deployment of federal service members in cases of “a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.”
Meanwhile, California officials pushed back. The state filed a lawsuit Monday, aiming to reverse Trump’s National Guard deployment, arguing that it infringes upon California’s sovereignty.
Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that the state would pursue a restraining order “to set aside the president’s unlawful action federalising the California National Guard.” He further asserted there was no migrant “invasion” or active rebellion to justify such a move.
The protests began Friday in downtown Los Angeles, after federal immigration agents arrested more than 40 individuals across the city. By Monday, the situation remained tense, with the air thick with smoke following a weekend in which demonstrators blocked a major freeway and set self-driving cars ablaze. Police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades.
Trump sends another 2,000 National Guard troops, 700 Marines to Los Angeles
An additional 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines are being sent to Los Angeles under orders from President Donald Trump, further increasing the military presence in the city — a move that both local officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom oppose, and one that the city’s police chief says will create logistical hurdles in safely managing protests.
The first contingent of 2,000 Guard troops began arriving on Sunday, which saw the most intense violence during three days of demonstrations sparked by Trump’s heightened immigration enforcement, which critics argue is tearing migrant families apart.
By Monday, demonstrations had largely calmed. Thousands gathered peacefully at a rally outside City Hall, while hundreds protested outside a federal complex housing a detention centre where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids across Los Angeles.
Trump has painted a bleak picture of the situation in Los Angeles — a depiction that Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Newsom dispute, saying his narrative is far from reality. Both argue that the addition of military forces is endangering public safety, especially since local law enforcement says they do not require assistance.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell stated he remained confident in the department’s capacity to manage large demonstrations. He warned that the uncoordinated arrival of Marines with no direct collaboration with the police department posed a “significant logistical and operational challenge” to their efforts.
Newsom sharply criticised the deployments, calling them reckless and “disrespectful to our troops” in a post on X.
“This isn’t about public safety,” Newsom added. “It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego.”
Summary:
Following federal troop deployment and immigration raids in Los Angeles, VP JD Vance affirmed President Trump’s resolve to stand firm against protests and unrest.