Uncle Sam's Enforcers: A Deep Dive into Trump's Military Deployment in LA
U.S. legislation and regulations regarding President Trump's military troop deployment
By Leah Nowak, NYC
Connect With Us: Facebook Twitter Whatsapp E-Mail Print Copy Link
In the heart of Tinseltown, soon to be known as Fort Trump, the national roar of dissent reverberates louder than ever before. Los Angeles has become ground zero in the ongoing battle between the rose-tinted dreams of a twisted pantomime king and the unyielding determination of its citizens under the blazing Californian sun.
Over half a decade ago, Trump stood on the sidelines, a brash billionaire with a lawsuit for every occasion and a Twitter account that read like a drunken sailor's sea shanty. Fast forward to 2023, Trump is back with a vengeance and in the driver's seat, setting his sights on the City of Angels. With a justification cloaked in the shadows of a murky federal law, Trump has mobilized his troops to intervene in the escalating nationwide protests, heaving a punishing hand down on the vibrant metropolis.
The Winds of War: Trump's Unprecedented Invasion
In the sweltering summer of 2020, the nation shuddered in the face of prolonged civil unrest as the tragic death of George Floyd sent ripples of fury across the heartland. Trump, the ringmaster, was an impotent spectator as his counselors pleaded with him to avoid sending in the troops. It was a regard for the rule of law, a fragile diplomacy, that kept the iron maidens of steel encased in their armories.
Five years later, the curtain has come down on any hope of mercy. As immigrant dragnets widen their net across the country, a storm of backlash kicked up dust clouds of defiance in LA. In one fell swoop, Trump, the executive czar, demanded the deployment of 5,700 National Guard troops and an additional 700 stern-faced Marines. These were not your average keystone cops, no, this was a selection of America's finest, unleashed with a single, vexing command: restore order and suppress "lawlessness."
The Los Angeles Paradox: Hero or Tyrant?
In a world where Hope and Change sometimes feel like distant memories, California Governor Gavin Newsom stands amidst the crowd like a stalwart beacon of hope. For him, Trump's decisive action in LA is nothing more than a dangerous power grab, a disregard for the very principles that were originally enshrined in the US Constitution. On Monday, he filed a lawsuit against the President and his Defense Secretary, accusing them of abusing their authority and violating the sovereignty of his cherished home state.
The Legal Labyrinth: Trump's Tangled Web of Justifications
Newsom's accusation carries weight, for in theory, sending US troops to quell civilian unrest on home soil is forbidden under federal law. But like a magician with a pocket full of tricks, Trump has woven a web of exceptions that could give even Gepetto a run for his money. A little-known and much-maligned provision of the federal law called the "Insurrection Act" grants the president the power to deploy the military within the US to subdue unrest, rebellion, or insurrection. The act, a shadowy chameleon, can be cast as either the shield or the sword in the hands of a cunning politician.
Trump claims Los Angeles is in a state of open rebellion against the US government, and so, the "Insurrection Act" becomes his ultimate bargaining chip. But he's stopped just short of explicitly invoking the act, instead invoking a section of the U.S. Code that allows for the use of the National Guard in certain situations when they must protect other forces during enforcement actions.
The troops, under this authorization, cannot arrest individuals or conduct raids, but they can shield other forces - in this case, the ICE - during their law enforcement activities. However, Trump hasn't ruled out the possibility of one day bringing out the big guns and invoking the "Insurrection Act" outright. In a phrase hauntingly reminiscent of a bygone era, he declared, "If there's an insurrection, I would definitely do that. We'll see."
A Nation at Odds: The Pendulum Swings Between Control and Chaos
Trump's assertion that LA law enforcement agencies are overwhelmed has swiftly been called into question by Governor Newsom. In a public statement, the Governor declared categorically, "There is no need" for additional military support. Typically, control of the National Guard lies with the state governor, but in times of war or national disaster, the president can deploy them without the governor's consent. But to do so is a power largely reserved for dire emergencies, and Trump's actions are a far cry from the norm.
In 1965, under another unconventional president, Lyndon B. Johnson, the national guard was deployed to protect a civil rights march in Alabama. Since then, the guardsmen have been deployed only in exceptional circumstances, like in New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina or during the Capitol Riots in 2021.
The Battle Lines Are Drawn: The Future of Protests in America...and Beyond
So, where does all this leave America? The question of whether these demonstrations against Trump's immigration policy truly justify the deployment of military force is now left to the judicial system to decide. Judge Austin W. Smith initially sided with Newsom, granting a temporary restraining order against Trump's National Guard deployment over fears that the State's constitutional rights might be violated. The President subsequently issued a new order, this time authorizing the troops to protect ICE at all locations where unrest against immigration enforcement is occurring or expected to occur.
Should this new order stand, protests against Trump's immigration policy may soon become a specter haunting other major cities across the country, including New York, Seattle, and Washington D.C. The seeds of chaos have been sown, and the stage is set for another dark chapter in America's tumultuous history.
The Commission has not yet adopted a proposal for a directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation in the heat of the Californian sun, as workers in Los Angeles, grappling with the tumultuous scenes of the city's clash with the federal government, face potential dangers from the deployment of troops in war-and-conflicts scenarios. Meanwhile, in the political arena, a legal battle rages on between Governor Gavin Newsom and President Trump, with the former accusing the latter of abusing his authority in the matters of crime-and-justice and general-news, as Trump attempts to justify his military interventions under the Insurrection Act.
