Politicizing federal troops in US mirrors use of military in Latin America in the 1970s and ’80s

U.S. Marines guard the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles on June 22, 2025. AP Photo/Jae C. Hong

In his second term as president, Donald Trump has deployed U.S. military forces in rarely used roles in domestic law enforcement.

Besides sending military troops to Los Angeles to counter protests over immigration raids, Trump sent the National Guard to patrol the streets of Washington, D.C., claiming crime in the city is “out of control.”