WASHINGTON (CP) – President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles on Monday, escalating federal military presence in response to immigration protests as California officials challenge the deployment and local police express concerns about operational coordination.
Another 2,000 National Guard troops along with 700 Marines are headed to Los Angeles on orders from President Donald Trump, escalating a military presence local officials and Gov. Gavin Newsom don’t want and the police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests. The enhanced deployment brings the total federal military personnel in the Los Angeles area to approximately 4,700, representing an unprecedented response to civil demonstrations related to immigration enforcement operations.
An initial 2,000 Guard troops ordered by Trump started arriving Sunday, which saw the most violence during three days of protests driven by anger over Trump’s stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws that critics say are breaking apart migrant families. The protests began Friday following federal immigration raids that resulted in more than 40 arrests across multiple locations in Los Angeles. The protests began Friday after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell expressed concerns about the military deployment’s impact on local law enforcement operations. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement he was confident in the police department’s ability to handle large-scale demonstrations and that the Marines’ arrival without coordinating with the police department would present a “significant logistical and operational challenge” for them. The chief emphasized that local police had not requested federal military assistance and maintained confidence in their ability to manage the situation independently.
California officials have mounted legal challenges to the federal deployment, arguing it violates state sovereignty and constitutional principles. California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit over the use of National Guard troops following the first deployment, telling reporters that Trump had “trampled” the state’s sovereignty. “We don’t take lightly to the president abusing his authority and unlawfully mobilizing California National Guard troops,” Bonta said. Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the deployment as politically motivated rather than safety-focused. Newsom called the deployments reckless and “disrespectful to our troops” in a post on the social platform X. “This isn’t about public safety,” Newsom said. “It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego.”
Monday’s demonstrations showed significantly reduced tensions compared to weekend protests, with thousands participating in peaceful rallies. Monday’s demonstrations were far less raucous, with thousands peacefully attending a rally at City Hall and hundreds protesting outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids across the city. The improved atmosphere came following the release of union leader David Huerta, whose arrest during Friday’s immigration raids had become a rallying point for protesters. On Monday, thousands flooded the streets around City Hall for a union rally ahead of a hearing for arrested labor leader David Huerta, who was freed a few hours later on a $50,000 bond.
The trump administration’s deployment represents a significant escalation in federal response to civil demonstrations. The deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state’s National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration’s mass deportation efforts. Historical precedent for such federal action is extremely limited. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor’s permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice. President Trump justified the deployment by invoking legal provisions related to federal authority during civil unrest situations, emphasizing the administration’s commitment to supporting immigration enforcement operations and maintaining order while protecting federal personnel and facilities.