by Grace Toohey, Rebecca Ellis, Matthew Ormseth, Hannah Fry and Michael Wilner at LA Times
A standoff between California officials and the Trump administration over immigration raids intensified Monday as the federal government said it was sending 700 Marines to Los Angeles and as local police worked to quell several days of unrest in downtown Los Angeles.
The Marine deployment comes even though California officials have said federal assistance is not needed and is actually inflaming tensions. There have been intense but isolated clashes between protesters and authorities for several days after a series of high-profile immigration arrests.
Late Sunday and early Monday some businesses were vandalized and burglarized downtown, concluding hours of unrest that saw Waymo cars burned, police cruisers crushed with rocks and electric scooters, and various forms of vandalism downtown and in the Civic Center. While most of the problems occurred within a few blocks, they have taken on worldwide attention after President Trump deployed the National Guard to L.A.
On Monday, a senior Trump administration official told The Times that the deployment of 700 active-duty U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton to Los Angeles would occur “in light of increased threats against federal officers and federal buildings.”
So far, the Guard has been mostly stationed at federal buildings while local police handle the protests.
California officials have decried the violent activities on the streets of L.A. and…
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