Trump Deploys National Guard to California Over Immigration Protests
Trump Deploys National Guard to California Over Immigration Protests
Protests against the White House’s immigration policies have rocked Los Angeles.
Demonstrators protest outside a downtown jail in Los Angeles following two days of clashes with police on June 8. Spencer Platt/Getty Images
California state officials on Monday announced plans to file a federal lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the president’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles without first consulting California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Tensions began on Friday, when small protests took place in Los Angeles against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Los Angeles Police Department took action to disperse the demonstrators and arrested more than 100 people.
California state officials on Monday announced plans to file a federal lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over the president’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles without first consulting California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Tensions began on Friday, when small protests took place in Los Angeles against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Los Angeles Police Department took action to disperse the demonstrators and arrested more than 100 people.
The next day, clashes broke out between protesters and law enforcement over rumors that another immigration raid was planned in the area. As the situation escalated, Trump issued a memo on Saturday evening ordering at least 2,000 members of the National Guard to Los Angeles to protect ICE officers and other federal officials as well as federal property. U.S. border czar Tom Homan warned California residents on Saturday that federal agents would arrest anyone who obstructs Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts, implying that the threat also included Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.
When demonstrations continued for a third day on Sunday, the Trump administration deployed around 300 National Guard members to protect the city’s federal buildings. However, Newsom maintains that “commandeering a state’s National Guard without consulting the governor of that state is illegal and immoral.” The California governor issued a letter on Sunday urging Trump to rescind his National Guard order. When Trump refused, Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced their intention to file a lawsuit against the White House.
By the end of the day on Monday, 2,000 National Guard members were deployed to California to help quell the unrest, and an additional 700 Marines were ordered to support the troops.
Read more in today’s World Brief: California Sues Trump Over National Guard Deployment.
This post is part of FP’s ongoing coverage of the Trump administration. Follow along here.
Alexandra Sharp is the World Brief writer at Foreign Policy. Bluesky: @alexandrassharp.bsky.social X: @AlexandraSSharp
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