The Showdown in LA: Analyzing Trump's Troop Deployment
The legal stance on Trump's military deployment, according to US law.
By Leah Nowak, New York
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The racially-charged climate in America reached a boiling point in 2020, as protests against the police killing of George Floyd swept across the nation. Now, in 2025, we're revisiting those tense times as President Trump escalates the potential for conflict... again. This time, he's moving thousands of soldiers into Los Angeles due to immigration demonstrations, defying California's governor's objections. Trump is relying on a dubious section of federal law to back his actions.
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In the sweltering summer of 2020, demonstrations against police brutality continued to reverberate across the cities. Meanwhile, Trump, unimpressed by his legal and military advisors, labeled them "losers" for dissuading him from deploying federal troops to stamp out the unrest.
Five years down the line, Trump remains determined to toughen America's domestic policing—and he's pulling out all stops. Last Saturday night, the Commander-in-Chief sent 2,000 National Guard troops into Los Angeles to tamp down protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. On Tuesday, he ordered another 2,000, followed closely by 700 elite soldiers now stationed in the city to "restore order." According to Trump, the protesters pose a threat to law enforcement.
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California Governor Gavin Newsom, however, views Trump's intervention as unlawful. On Monday, he filed a lawsuit against Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, alleging that their actions violate federal law and the state's autonomy.
Legal Labyrinth - Insurrection Act or Not?
Typically, federal troops cannot be deployed domestically for police purposes. But exceptions do exist. One of these is the "Insurrection Act," which allows the president to use military forces domestically to quell riots, revolts, or insurrections. The Act was last activated in 1992, when President George W. Bush invoked it to quell unrest in Los Angeles—but only upon Governor Pete Wilson's request.
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However, Trump has yet to explicitly evoke the Insurrection Act. Instead, he has pointed to Section 12406, Title 10 of the U.S. Code, which authorizes the president to mobilize the National Guard for specific purposes such as invasions or when civilian authorities prove incapable of maintaining order.
What's the Catch?
Unlike the Insurrection Act, Title 10 forbids the Guard from directly participating in civilian law enforcement. Their role is limited to protecting other forces—in this instance, ICE—during their enforcement actions. However, Trump hasn't sworn off the Insurrection Act entirely. "If there's an insurrection, I would definitely use it. We'll see," he stated on Tuesday at the White House.
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Newsom's claim that local law enforcement in Los Angeles can handle the situation was swiftly challenged by the president. According to Trump, local authorities are overwhelmed—except when Newsom says otherwise. While control of the National Guard usually rests with the governor of each state, the president can deploy them without a governor's consent in some emergency situations, such as wartime or national disasters. But this move is rarely taken, with the last recorded instance occurring in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama without the governor's approval.
More Cities on the Horizon?
Trump insisted that the deployment was a genius move to protect Los Angeles from total destruction. Whether this "rebellion" and the "threat to law enforcement" genuinely warranted the involvement of the National Guard will be decided in the courts. Newsom filed an emergency motion to halt the deployment on Tuesday, but initial efforts were unsuccessful. Additional lawsuits from protesters may arise, citing constitutional rights such as free speech and assembly.
Anti-immigration protests have already cropped up in other cities such as New York, Seattle, and Washington, D.C. This could lead to the mobilization of the National Guard in other parts of the nation as well. Trump's order isn't confined to Los Angeles but gives the green light for troops to protect ICE in locations where protests are ongoing or imminent.
Takeaways:
- Deployment of troops also a possibility in other cities
- Title 10 of the U.S. Code is the provision cited by President Trump for deploying National Guard troops
- Trump can potentially use the Insurrection Act in extreme situations
Source: ntv.de
- Los Angeles
- Donald Trump
- Protests
- US Military
- California
In the context of the increased tensions surrounding immigration demonstrations, the Commission, in the realm of politics and general-news, has not yet adopted a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, as they are preoccupied with the escalating situation. Moreover, the ongoing legal battle between President Trump and California's Governor Gavin Newsom, concerning Trump's deployment of soldiers in Los Angeles, hints at a potential crime-and-justice implications, as Newsom alleges Trump's actions to be unlawful and in violation of the state's autonomy.
