Trump orders National Guard to L.A. amid immigration protests
US President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, sparking a constitutional row with California leaders as immigration protests boil over into street clashes. The move, which comes amid large-scale federal raids targeting undocumented migrants, has been condemned by Governor Gavin Newsom as a reckless escalation that threatens to inflame tensions in the city’s Latino communities.
Key Information:
- Deployment: President Trump has federalised 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
- Trigger: Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids led to protests across L.A. County.
- Legal Basis: Trump did not invoke the Insurrection Act; instead, he used federal statutes that allow for the mobilisation of the National Guard under federal control.
- Backlash: California Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass have condemned the move.
- Escalation Risk: The deployment could expand to include active-duty Marines if unrest intensifies.
President Donald Trump has ordered 2,000 members of the California National Guard to deploy in Los Angeles following days of protest sparked by aggressive immigration raids. The move, announced late Saturday evening, has drawn fierce backlash from state and local leaders who fear the federal action will only heighten unrest in the city’s predominantly Latino communities.
Clashes erupted in the city’s Paramount district and around key federal buildings, with law enforcement deploying tear gas, flashbangs, and other crowd-control measures. Federal officials say over 100 people have already been detained since Friday, with over a dozen arrested during confrontations with federal agents. Trump’s decision to federalise the National Guard comes despite explicit opposition from Governor Gavin Newsom, who decried the action as "inflammatory" and a "spectacle designed to escalate."
While Trump stopped short of invoking the Insurrection Act — a rarely used 18th-century law that permits military intervention during domestic unrest — he relied on federal legal authority that allows National Guard forces to come under presidential command. However, legal scholars have raised questions about the legality of bypassing the state governor in this context. According to Steve Vladeck, a professor of military law, the guardsmen may be limited to a supportive role. They cannot legally engage in civilian law enforcement without further legal authorisation.
The White House is framing this deployment as a necessary response to what it described as "violent mobs" targeting ICE operations. Trump, posting on his social media platform, accused Newsom and Bass of failing to control "RIOTS & LOOTERS," insisting the federal government would "solve the problem." Meanwhile, his appointed border czar, Tom Homan, issued a stark warning that elected officials impeding federal agents could face arrest. This legally dubious claim nonetheless reflects the administration’s confrontational tone.
"Help us take these criminals off the street. Stop applauding the protesters and support law enforcement," Homan addressed the officials on NBC News. "Gov. Newsom should be on the phone thanking President Trump for making a state safer."
On the ground, the atmosphere remains volatile. Aerial footage captured tense standoffs between protesters and riot-clad officers near downtown Los Angeles. Outside the Home Depot in Paramount, where demonstrations first erupted, tear gas hung in the air while residents reported migrants hiding inside nearby buildings. Despite LAPD reports earlier claiming largely peaceful protests, federal agents later formed skirmish lines outside detention centres and made arrests for obstructing operations.
This episode marks one of the most serious domestic military deployments under Trump’s presidency. It echoes earlier moments in U.S. history, from Eisenhower’s intervention during desegregation to the 1992 Los Angeles riots. But this latest deployment is also a preview of Trump’s second-term approach to immigration enforcement. On the campaign trail, he pledged to use sympathetic Republican governors to aid enforcement efforts even where local leaders resist — a constitutional flashpoint that may soon test the bounds of executive power.
Sources: NBC News, The Washington Post, BBC, The Guardian
