Washington - Saba:
The US Department of Defense (Pentagon) has announced the deployment of 700 Marines to Los Angeles amid protests against President Donald Trump's immigration policy.
The US Northern Command said in a statement: "Approximately 700 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Regiment, 1st Marine Division, will seamlessly integrate with the 10th Marines, Task Force 51, in the Los Angeles area."
A US official previously confirmed that 700 Marines had been sent to California to assist in Los Angeles, and they were expected to arrive within the next 24 hours.
US media reported that approximately 500 US Marines from the Air Ground Combat Center in Tottenham Palms, California, had been mobilized for deployment to Los Angeles in response to the ongoing protests in the city.
Sources added that the US Marines are scheduled to join the National Guard deployed by order of President Donald Trump without the approval of the California governor or the mayor of Los Angeles.
Fox News reported that the deployment of Marines to Los Angeles is not intended to perform security duties.
Earlier, a raid by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify undocumented immigrants in downtown Los Angeles escalated into clashes with protesters.
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