Trump Deploys Soldiers to Los Angeles Amidst Protests
National Guard troops dispatched by Trump arrive in Los Angeles - Trump deploys National Guard to Los Angeles.
L.A. city streets were nerve-wracking over the weekend as camouflaged soldiers patrolled the outer boundaries of a federal building complex. Graffiti boasting "Our City" marked the exterior, which also houses an immigrant detention center.
Tensions are set to escalate as protests have been scheduled for Sunday night, calling for a mass gathering outside city hall.
Trump ordered the mobilization of 2000 National Guard troops due to the lawlessness that's taken over our nation, according to Trump's spokeswoman, Karoline Leavitt.
California's Governor, Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, is criticizing Trump for deploying troops to L.A. unnecessarily, stating they're creating a crisis instead of responding to specific needs. "He's hoping for chaos so he can justify more raids, more fear, more control," Newsom voiced on X. He urges the city's residents to stay calm, maintain peace, and to never resort to violence.
Violent altercations between U.S. federal law enforcement agents and protesters were reported Friday and Saturday. These clashes erupted following raids by masked and armed federal agents on migrants. Protesters retaliated with thrown objects, eliciting stun grenades and tear gas from the agents, who consequently arrested several protesters.
Clashes between protesters and security personnel were reported in Compton on Sunday morning, with pepper spray filling the air according to AFP reporters.
Bypassing local authorities, Trump is deploying the National Guard, an auxiliary army primarily called into action for natural disasters and occasional riots (such as in 2020 post-George Floyd's death).
Human rights activist Kenneth Roth, a former head of the Human Rights Watch, accused Trump of "embellishing a show to carry on his raids against immigrants" since this is the first time since 1965 that a president has deployed the National Guard without the governor's request.
- Donald Trump
- Los Angeles
- Sunday
- US President
- Order
- Migrants
- Gavin Newsom
- Military
- Washington
- Karoline Leavitt
- California
In a controversial move, Trump escalated his immigration enforcement actions in Southern California by deploying hundreds of National Guard soldiers to downtown Los Angeles[3]. With federalization of 2000 California National Guard servicemembers, along with the potential inclusion of additional National Guard soldiers and U.S. Marines, Trump increased militarization in the area amid ongoing protests and heightened tensions[2][3]. California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed an emergency motion in court to block the federal government from militarizing Los Angeles, alleging that the troops are being unlawfully involved in civilian law enforcement activities[2]. Seeing this as an unprecedented threat to democracy and comparing Trump's actions to that of a tyrant, Newsom emphasized the historical importance of the ban on martial law in peacetime[2]. Newsom also pointed out the hypocrisy in Trump's position, recalling his previously stated stance that he would not federalize National Guard members without the governor's approval[2].
- United States President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, California, on Sunday, escalating his immigration enforcement actions amid ongoing protests and heightened tensions.
- The deployment of military personnel by Trump, without the governor's request, has been criticized by California Governor Gavin Newsom as an unprecedented threat to democracy and a potential violation of civilian law enforcement activities.
