National security expert criticizes deployment of National Guard in LA by Trump, labeling it as an "abuse of power"
Updated June 10, 2025 at 9:28 AM CDT
President Trump's decision to send the National Guard and stir up chaos in Los Angeles over immigration protests is a blatant misuse of power, Hina Shamsi, the ACLU's National Security Project director, told NPR.
"It's fucking reckless and undermining our basic democratic principles," Shamsi fumed in an interview with Morning Edition following a weekend of clashes between protesters, LA police, federal agents, and troops. Los Angeles saw demonstrations against ICE raids, which netted 118 immigrants during last week's operations in the city, according to ICE's social media announcement on Saturday.
In response to the protests, Trump signed a membrane on Saturday, deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to Los Angeles without California Gov. Gavin Newsom's okie-dokie. By Sunday morning, about 300 had been deployed. The administration argues that the deployment is to ensure the safety of ICE and other federal agents, who have supposedly been under attack by "violent mobs" since the protests began.
Newsom slammed Trump's move as unnecessary and added that it would only worsen tensions.
"Federal troops ain't trained for that shit!" Shamsi said. "And the worry is this shitstorm they're stirring up causes trouble for the troops, increases the risk for civilians, and violates the democratic principle that the military shouldn't be handling the cops' job."
In response to NPR's request for comment about Shamsi's assessment, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson issued the following statement: "If protesters light motherfuckers on fire and attack law enforcement, you can bet your ass President Trump will step in to protect our boys in blue. It's a goddamn shame that the ACLU's more concerned with siding with violent riots than standing up for American citizens."
Shamsi sat down with NPR's Leila Fadel to discuss why she believes Trump is abusing his presidential power by sending the military onto protesters in LA.
The following interview has been lightly edited for length and clarity
Interview Highlights
Leila Fadel: So what gives the president the right to do the governor's bidding and deploy the National Guard?
Hina Shamsi: Well, that's just the fucking problem. The president may have some authorization to deploy the military, but it's for genuine emergencies like extreme situations, actual wars, armed rebellions, or enforcing federal laws when regular agencies can't manage. But that ain't the situation here. What Trump did was a power play, and it's leading to unnecessary trouble for Americans and potential ethical and legal jeopardy for the troops.
Fadel: You mentioned no geographical locations. Are you concerned this might spread to other places in the country?
Shamsi: Yeah, that's a real worry. The terms of the presidential memo issued on Saturday night didn't put a limit on where the troops could be deployed and left the time limits up to the Secretary of Defense's discretion. So the worry is the president is trying to write himself a blank check to deploy the military wherever he sees fit, even when people are exercising their First Amendment rights to protest against unfair ICE raids.
Fadel: How does having the National Guard on the ground affect the rights of protesters?
Shamsi: Don't get it twisted, constitutional rights apply to everyone, regardless of the uniform they're wearing. But here's the rub: these troops aren't trained for policing civilians. This escalation creates legal and ethical problems for the troops and heightens the foreseeable risks for protesters' constitutional rights. We're concerned it could lead to deadly consequences.
Fadel: Governor Newsom is planning to sue the Trump administration. You mentioned this authority is rarely used, but it still seems legal. So does he have any grounds to sue?
Shamsi: The legality's likely gonna be tested in court, and on its face, the statute the president invoked doesn't give him the authority he's claiming in his Saturday night memorandum. It's unsurprising that the state would sue, as they have the ability to maintain public order and the Constitution prohibits the federal government from unilaterally deploying military unless a federal interest is genuinely threatened.
Fadel: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has stated he's ready to mobilize the Marines if needed. Has that ever happened before? In situations where Marines could act as law enforcement on U.S. streets against Americans?
Shamsi: That's a terrifying thought. There is absolutely no need for federal Marines to be handling law enforcement, and it erodes our democratic principles.
- Hina Shamsi, the ACLU's National Security Project director, criticized President Trump's deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles, stating it was a misuse of power as the president's authorization to deploy military is limited to genuine emergencies like wars, armed rebellions, or enforcing federal laws.
- Governor Newsom's planned lawsuit against the Trump administration over the deployment of the National Guard could potentially test the legality of the president's actions, as the statute invoked by the president may not give him the claimed authority in the Saturday night memorandum.
- In the interview, Hina Shamsi expressed concern over the potential spread of National Guard deployments to other parts of the country, as the terms of the presidential memo did not put a limit on deployment locations, leaving the time limits up to the Secretary of Defense's discretion. This, according to Shamsi, could lead to the president writing a "blank check" to deploy the military wherever he sees fit, violating democratic principles and potentially threatening constitutional rights.
