The Voice News: In a rare domestic military deployment, U.S. Marines stationed in Los Angeles detained a civilian on Friday—the first confirmed instance of such action since President Donald Trump ordered active-duty troops to the city amid protests over immigration enforcement.The detained individual, 27-year-old Marcos Leao, an Army veteran and naturalized U.S. citizen, told reporters he was treated “very fairly” during the encounter. Leao, who is of Angolan and Portuguese descent, said he was heading to the Department of Veterans Affairs when he crossed into a restricted area near the Wilshire Federal Building and was temporarily detained by Marines before being handed over to officials from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).According to the U.S. Northern Command, Marines may temporarily detain individuals “in specific circumstances,” but must transfer them to civilian law enforcement “as soon as it is safe to do so.”Roughly 200 Marines arrived in Los Angeles on Friday morning, assuming control of security at the federal complex. Their presence follows Trump’s unilateral deployment of National Guard troops last weekend, an action strongly opposed by California Governor Gavin Newsom.Though the streets remained relatively quiet as of Friday morning—marking the seventh day of protests and the third day of a downtown curfew—tensions have continued to simmer across the nation. Demonstrations have erupted in New York, Chicago, Seattle, Austin, and are expected to peak on Saturday when millions rally at more than 2,000 locations nationwide in a protest titled “No Kings”, aimed at denouncing Trump’s perceived authoritarian turn.The protests are timed to coincide with Trump’s military parade in Washington, D.C., commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army—and also his 79th birthday. The event will include 6,600 soldiers, tanks, aircraft, and even a live message from an astronaut in space. Critics liken the spectacle to militarized pageantry seen in authoritarian regimes like North Korea and Russia. The parade is expected to cost up to $45 million, according to NBC News sources.Meanwhile, legal challenges are mounting. Late Thursday, a federal judge ruled Trump’s deployment of troops to LA unconstitutional, citing a violation of congressionally mandated procedures. The administration swiftly appealed, and a higher court suspended the ruling until a hearing scheduled for Tuesday.Governor Newsom, speaking on a New York Times podcast, called Trump a “stone cold liar” for falsely claiming to have consulted with him prior to the deployment. The lawsuit, Newsom v. Trump, argues that the president overstepped his authority.Democratic lawmakers and civil rights groups have sharply criticized the military deployment, calling it a dangerous overreach intended to stifle dissent and advance Trump’s aggressive immigration agenda. Trump, however, defended his actions, claiming without evidence that Los Angeles would have been “obliterated” without federal intervention.Even military families and National Guard members have voiced concerns. Sarah Streyder of the Secure Families Initiative said, “The sentiment across the board right now is that deploying military force against our own communities isn’t the kind of national security we signed up for.” Chris Purdy of the Chamberlain Network added that “morale is not great” among deployed personnel.Tensions escalated further when Democratic Senator Alex Padilla of California was forcibly removed and handcuffed during a press conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in Los Angeles. Padilla, a vocal critic of Trump’s immigration policies, had attempted to question the secretary when Secret Service and FBI agents intervened. The footage, now viral, has triggered bipartisan reactions: most Republicans condemned Padilla’s interruption, while Democrats lauded his resistance and were alarmed by the heavy-handed response.Meanwhile, arrests continue as sporadic unrest lingers. Jose Manuel Mojica, a 30-year-old father of four, was charged with assaulting a federal officer during a protest in Paramount, southern LA County.The political, legal, and human consequences of Trump’s domestic troop deployment are only beginning to unfold—setting the stage for a deeply divided and volatile summer in the United States.
