Los Angeles: US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed today that the Department of Defense (the Pentagon) is prepared to announce the mobilization of Marines to enforce security if violence continues in Los Angeles.

According to National Iraqi News Agency, the US Secretary of Defense stated via his Twitter account: “The Department of Defense is immediately mobilizing the National Guard to support federal law enforcement in Los Angeles. If violence continues, the Marines on duty at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized and are on standby.”

Since taking office last January, US President Donald Trump has begun implementing his pledge to crack down on the entry of undocumented immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security reported that Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in Los Angeles last week led to the arrest of 118 foreigners.

Earlier today, Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid escalating protests over US Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids on undocumented immigrants.

This decision comes as Los Angeles witnesses a wave of protests for the second night in a row, with tense clashes between demonstrators and federal security forces, particularly in the Paramount area southeast of the city, where some protesters raised the Mexican flag, and others covered their faces with protective masks.