US President Donald Trump has reportedly sent more American troops to the city of Los Angeles (LA) in California-- to curb the protests against his harsh immigration policies -- than those deployed in Iraq and Syria by Washington. The Republican leader has deployed around 4,000 National Guard personnel and over 700 active duty Marines in LA to counter protests ignited over a sudden escalation in efforts to apprehend migrants who were in the country illegally.
"There are 4,800 activated Guard and Marine personnel in LA, compared to the 2,500 troops in Iraq and 1,500 in Syria," according to an ABC News report.
According to the Pentagon, the deployment in LA will cost taxpayers $134 million over 60 days.
LA Protests
The unrest in LA began on June 6 after United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began mass detentions of undocumented migrants. By the evening of June 7, the authorities had reportedly arrested at least 44 people on suspicion of immigration violations.
In response, residents took to the streets, with protests later escalating into riots. President Trump ordered the deployment of troops to the city-- which is home to nearly 3.9 million people-- in response to the unrest without consulting California Governor Gavin Newsom, who later sued the Trump administration for the move. Governor Newsom, a Democrat, has charged that Trump is seeking to escalate the confrontation for political gain.
"Democracy is under assault right before our eyes," he said in a televised address late Tuesday. "California may be first, but it clearly won't end here."
Trump's Immigration Crackdown
Trump won the election last year partly on promises to combat what he claims is an "invasion" by undocumented migrants. He is now seizing the opportunity to make political capital, ordering the California National Guard to deploy despite Governor Gavin Newsom's objections, the first time a US president has taken such action in decades.
Meanwhile, demonstrations against Trump's immigration raids spread on Wednesday across the United States despite a military-backed crackdown in Los Angeles and threats by the hard-right Republican president to use "heavy force."
US Pulling Troops Out Of The Middle East
Meanwhile, amid unrest at home, Trump is planning to move US troops out of the Middle East, which he described as a "dangerous place". On Wednesday, the American leader said personnel were being moved out of the Middle East because "it could be a dangerous place," adding that the United States would not allow Iran to have a nuclear weapon.
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