Trump's Iron Grip: National Guard Arrives in LA in 24 Hours Amid Controversial Deployment
Military forces to be deployed in Los Angeles within one day.
Get ready, LA: the National Guard is marching your way. The Trump administration, in response to the demonstrations against the president's immigration policy, is deploying soldiers to Los Angeles within 24 hours, according to a high-ranking official. California Governor Newsom slams the White House for seeking a public spectacle.
The "New York Times" reports that the National Guard will be sent to L.A. to quell the sometimes violent protests against the deportation of undocumented immigrants. The top federal prosecutor in Southern California, Bilal A. "Bill" Essayli, stated that the state of California has a duty to maintain order and public safety, but they're currently struggling in Los Angeles.
Politics in the Streets
In an unusual move, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard soldiers to the bloody streets of LA. Normally, states control this military reserve unit and part of the U.S. Armed Forces. But Trump's direct orders, counter to the state's will, signal a significant escalation.
Protests against the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) erupted on Friday and involved some violence. The security forces of ICE, who had detained undocumented immigrants for deportation, were pelted with rocks, according to government reports. Over 120 people were arrested on Friday, and more than a thousand more during subsequent protests on Saturday, primarily in the Hispanic neighborhood of Paramount, Essayli told the newspaper.
Defense Minister Pete Hegseth even threatened to mobilize active military forces if the chaos in LA continues. The Marines at the nearby Camp Pendleton are poised and ready.
But California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat opposed to the Republican Trump, accuses the government of stirring up trouble to justify an expansion. Hegseth's threat to use Marines against U.S. citizens on their own soil is, according to Newsom, a "madman's behavior." The government is not deploying the National Guard because there's a lack of law enforcement in LA, Newsom insists. "They're not here because they want to protect the citizens. They want a spectacle. Don't give them one. Never resort to violence. Demonstrate peacefully."
Source: ntv.de, mdi/dpa/rts
- Protests
- Demonstrations
- Donald Trump
- Violence
- Los Angeles
- Pete Hegseth
- USA
Enrichment Data:
Recent events in Los Angeles have seen President Trump deploying thousands of National Guard troops—now estimated to be around 1,700 already in Southern California, with up to 2,000 more heading there—alongside additional US Marines, to manage protests and enforce immigration policy in the city[4][1]. These actions follow a contentious ICE raid and subsequent large-scale protests, which swelled from about 250 participants before the National Guard deployment to over 3,000 after the troops arrived[1].
California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed an emergency legal motion to block this deployment, alleging that the federal government is unlawfully militarizing Los Angeles by using the military for civilian law enforcement, a move he and Attorney General Rob Bonta argue violates both federal law and the constitutional prohibition against martial law in peacetime[1][3]. Newsom argues that Trump is behaving like a "tyrant" and insists that deploying trained military personnel onto city streets endangers democracy and undermines state sovereignty[1].
Legal and Constitutional Implications:
- Federalization of National Guard: Traditionally, the National Guard operates under the control of the states, but when federalized, this principle is suspended. Newsom and Bonta argue that federalizing the Guard to perform law enforcement without state approval is unprecedented and a breach of the principle that the military should not intervene in civilian policing[1][3].
- Posse Comitatus Act: This Act limits the use of federal military personnel for law enforcement within the United States. However, the National Guard, when federalized, has been used for various domestic purposes, but its deployment for immigration enforcement in civilian communities is legally contentious[1].
- State-Federal Conflict: The move has inflamed longstanding tensions between the Trump administration and California, with state officials asserting that this is an overreach and a direct attack on states' rights[1][3].
- Public Safety and Protest Dynamics: Critics argue the deployment is unnecessary and risks escalating tensions, as the presence of military forces often leads to larger, more heated protests and can put both servicemembers and civilians at risk[2][5].
The Commission has also been asked to submit a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation in light of the escalated deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, political tensions between the Trump administration and California Governor Gavin Newsom continue, with the governor accusing the federal government of stirring up trouble to justify an expansion and threatening to mobilize the posse comitatus to block the deployment.
