Los Angeles, once again, has become the national stage for a high-stakes standoff—this time, between boots and banners. U.S. Marines, dispatched by direct presidential order, made their first public detention Friday, seizing a man outside the Wilshire Federal Building during simmering protests over sweeping immigration raids. The moment marks an extraordinary use of active-duty troops in a domestic policing role, just ahead of more than 1,800 planned demonstrations across the country.
The detained man? A U.S. Army veteran. An immigrant-turned-citizen. Marcos Leao, 27, says he crossed a taped-off area to get to the Veterans Affairs office—only to be zip-tied and held by Marines for nearly two hours before being handed off to Homeland Security.
“They treated me respectfully,” Leao said after his release. “They told me they were just doing their jobs in a stressful situation.”
Still, the optics are stark. Active-duty Marines detaining a fellow veteran on American soil—an action so rare it nearly defies precedent.
The deployment was sparked by President Trump’s call to “restore order” amid public unrest over immigration sweeps. Marines now reinforce the National Guard in L.A., over the vocal objections of California’s governor and local officials. Around 200 Marines have been assigned to protect federal buildings like the one Leao entered. Their mandate allows only temporary detentions, with full arrest powers remaining in civilian hands.
Mayor Karen Bass, flanked by city leaders and visibly frustrated, pushed back hard. “This isn’t just about immigration raids,” she said. “This is about federal overreach. Where does it end?”
In Los Angeles alone, fifteen protests are expected Saturday, as the city braces for another day of resistance. The broader national backdrop? A controversial military parade in Washington, D.C., celebrating the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary—and the president’s 79th birthday.
Sheriff Robert Luna attempted to strike a balance between caution and support for civil liberties. “Fewer than 1% of protestors are causing problems,” he said. “But those who do—those who attack officers or destroy property—will be arrested.”
Meanwhile, federal agents drew additional ire Thursday when they physically removed and restrained a U.S. Senator for interrupting a Homeland Security press conference—another moment feeding concerns about escalating authoritarian behavior.
The city has imposed a curfew over a square mile of downtown L.A.—with no announced end in sight.
“If the raids stop,” Mayor Bass said, “the unrest stops. Simple as that.”
Saturday’s protests will test whether that message resonates—or whether the images of Marines patrolling American streets will become the new face of a deepening national divide.
