Los Angeles: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has warned that active-duty Marines could be deployed to Los Angeles if immigration protests continue to escalate.

According to Qatar News Agency, Hegseth stated in a post on X that the Pentagon is prepared to mobilize troops from nearby Camp Pendleton, which he said are currently on high alert, should violence persist.

Earlier on Sunday, US President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum authorizing the deployment of National Guard troops to assist with efforts to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.

The decision follows a weekend of unrest sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in Los Angeles. Protests erupted on Friday night after ICE agents carried out enforcement actions that resulted in at least 44 arrests for alleged immigration violations.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, approximately 1,000 demonstrators were involved in Friday protests. Federal agents confronted crowds in the Paramount area of southeast Los Angeles on Saturday, while a second protest downtown later that evening drew around 60 participants.

President Trump has vowed to significantly ramp up deportations and tighten security along the US-Mexico border, a stance that continues to fuel tensions across major cities.