Although the incidents on Monday were calmer than in previous days, Donald Trump ordered the deployment of another 2,000 California National Guard troops, who will join the military already mobilized the day before in response to protests in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
In total, up to this Monday, the Trump administration has activated 4,000 National Guard members and also 700 marines, creating an unprecedented scenario in the second largest city in the United States.
California seeks to stop the militarization of Los Angeles.
“By order of the president, the Department of Defense is mobilizing an additional 2,000 California National Guard troops who will be called to federal service to support ICE and enable federal law enforcement agents to safely perform their duties,” announced Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell on their social media account X.
Trump made this decision despite the announcement by the California Prosecutor’s Office of filing a complaint against him and Hegseth for the “illegal” and “incendiary” deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles, a measure they took “without authorization from Governor (Gavin) Newsom and against the wishes of law enforcement”, as indicated by the agency.
Attorney General Rob Bonta stated that the protests “were almost dissipated” when the military arrived on Sunday. “Since Trump announced his plan to deploy troops, the situation quickly escalated with protests during the night, highway closures, and people in danger,” he lamented.
In addition, he recalled that there is only one precedent for the federalization of the National Guard, which was 55 years ago, during Richard Nixon’s presidency, when he mobilized the military to facilitate mail delivery during a postal strike.
The tough fight between Trump and Governor Newsom
California Governor Gavin Newsom strongly reacted to Trump’s mention that he should be arrested.
“The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America. I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or a Republican this is a line we cannot cross as a nation — this is an unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.” wrote Newsom on the social network X.