President Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles against Governor Newsom’s wishes, marking the first time since 1965 a president has bypassed state officials to federalize state troops amid escalating immigration protests.
Key Takeaways
- President Trump federalized 2,000 California National Guard troops following violent protests against immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles.
- Governor Newsom condemned the action as “a serious breach of state sovereignty” and has threatened legal challenges.
- The deployment came after ICE raids in Latino communities resulted in over 120 arrests, sparking protests that escalated to include vehicle fires and property damage.
- This marks the first presidential federalization of state National Guard without governor approval since 1965.
- Trump’s stated mission for the Guard is to protect federal agents conducting immigration enforcement, not to participate in raids or general policing.
Presidential Authority Exercised in Face of Escalating Violence
President Trump’s decisive action to federalize the California National Guard comes in response to significant civil unrest following immigration enforcement operations across Los Angeles. The deployment of 2,000 troops represents a rare exercise of presidential authority, with legal experts noting this is the first such action bypassing state leadership since the 1965 Watts riots. The Guard’s arrival follows reports of violence against immigration officers, property destruction, and what the President described as “violent, insurrectionist mobs” threatening federal authorities conducting lawful immigration enforcement.
The deployment comes after ICE conducted significant operations in the Westlake and Paramount areas, resulting in the arrest of 44 unauthorized immigrants at a single job site and 77 others across the greater Los Angeles region. These operations are part of Trump’s broader immigration enforcement campaign, which aims to increase deportations nationwide with a particular focus on sanctuary jurisdictions like Los Angeles. The administration has established aggressive new targets for ICE, seeking to reach 3,000 arrests daily with an expanded focus on workplace enforcement.
🚨 Escalation in Los Angeles Marks a Constitutional Emergency
The current military escalation in Los Angeles represents what may be an unprecedented moment in American history: the deployment of federally controlled National Guard troops—and the threatened use of active-duty… pic.twitter.com/rgB8NbQNaY
— The Intellectualist (@highbrow_nobrow) June 8, 2025
California Officials Challenge Federal Intervention
Governor Gavin Newsom has strongly opposed the federal action, demanding the return of state control over the Guard and threatening legal challenges. “We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty, inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re needed,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom, California Governor. Newsom maintains that local law enforcement has sufficient resources to handle the situation and that federal intervention only exacerbates tensions within communities already on edge from increased immigration enforcement actions.
“President Trump’s deployment of federalized National Guard troops in response to protests is unnecessary, inflammatory, and an abuse of power,” said Hina Shamsi, Director of the ACLU’s National Security Project.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has also voiced opposition to the federal deployment, joining the governor in characterizing the move as politically motivated rather than a response to genuine public safety concerns. This resistance from state and local leadership highlights the growing tension between federal immigration policies and the jurisdictions where they’re being implemented. Critics argue that the administration’s approach is designed more to appeal to Trump’s political base than to address immigration issues through comprehensive reform.
National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles as protests erupted over Trump’s immigration raids, with clashes, arrests, and rising tensions drawing sharp criticism from Governor Newsom.https://t.co/XCiK8YwAxh
— Al Mayadeen English (@MayadeenEnglish) June 8, 2025
Protests Escalate Following ICE Operations
The protests that triggered the National Guard deployment began after ICE conducted significant raids in predominantly Latino neighborhoods, operations that have increased substantially since President Trump returned to the White House. Downtown Los Angeles quickly became a focal point for demonstrations, with authorities eventually declaring parts of the area an “unlawful assembly” as confrontations between protesters and law enforcement intensified. Police deployed flash-bang grenades and pepper spray as some elements within the crowds reportedly set vehicles ablaze and engaged in looting.
“Violent, insurrectionist mobs,” said US President Donald Trump, describing the protesters.
The Federal Building in downtown Los Angeles and a Home Depot in Paramount, where ICE conducted operations, have become flashpoints for demonstrations. While many protesters have assembled peacefully to voice opposition to the administration’s immigration policies, authorities report that some individuals have engaged in property destruction and confrontation with law enforcement. These escalations have been cited by the administration as justification for the National Guard deployment, with Trump characterizing the situation as “a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States.”
Legal and Constitutional Questions Emerge
Legal experts have raised significant questions about the constitutionality of President Trump’s decision to federalize the National Guard against the explicit wishes of the state governor. This action exists in a gray area of federal authority that has rarely been tested in modern times. While the President has not invoked the Insurrection Act, which would provide broader powers to deploy military forces for domestic law enforcement, the current deployment still raises concerns about the appropriate separation between military and police functions in American society.
“The ability to protest anonymously is quite settled, the use of masks specifically,” said Thomas R. Burke, a First Amendment attorney.
The Defense Department has clarified that the National Guard’s mission is specifically to protect federal agents conducting immigration enforcement operations, not to directly participate in immigration raids or routine policing activities. However, the U.S. Defense Secretary has indicated that further escalation could result in the mobilization of Marine forces if violence continues to threaten federal personnel. This graduated approach suggests the administration is attempting to balance a show of federal authority with awareness of the legal constraints on domestic military deployment.
