Governor Gavin Newsom has condemned the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles as “unlawful”, accusing President Trump of exploiting immigration protests to justify federal overreach and undermine California’s state authority.
“This deployment is unlawful,” said Newsom, who accused the president of manufacturing a crisis to justify federal overreach. “These are the acts of a dictator, not a president,” he wrote on X, adding that he would sue the Trump administration over the decision.
Clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement escalated across the city, prompting Los Angeles police to declare several rallies “unlawful assemblies”. Protesters reportedly threw concrete, bottles and other projectiles at police officers, some on horseback. Video footage captured scenes of self-driving Waymo cars set ablaze and crowds blocking the 101 Freeway, a major route through the city.
Police confirmed at least 10 arrests on Sunday, following 29 the previous night.
Groups carrying Mexican flags and placards denouncing US immigration authorities gathered outside City Hall, where the Party for Socialism and Liberation organised a rally. The protests were sparked by sweeping federal immigration raids that advocates say targeted even legal residents.
National Guard troops and Department of Homeland Security personnel were seen guarding federal buildings, while about a dozen officers pushed back demonstrators outside one facility in downtown Los Angeles.
The White House defended the deployment, saying: “Everyone saw the chaos, violence and lawlessness.” President Trump posted on social media, branding the demonstrators “violent, insurrectionist mobs” and claiming he had ordered his cabinet to take “all such action necessary” to end what he described as “riots”. In remarks to reporters in New Jersey, Trump added, “They spit, we hit.”
Despite the president’s rhetoric, he has not formally invoked the Insurrection Act — an 1807 law permitting the use of military force during civil unrest. When asked whether he would do so, Trump replied, “It depends on whether or not there’s an insurrection.”
California law enforcement officials appeared divided over the federal presence. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said a reassessment was necessary in light of growing violence. “We wouldn’t go to that right away,” he said of federal assistance. “But looking at the violence tonight, I think we’ve got to make a reassessment.”
Trump swiftly endorsed McDonnell’s statement online, posting, “He should, right now!!! Don’t let these thugs get away with this. Make America great again!!!”
The US Northern Command said 300 members of the California National Guard had already been deployed to three locations across the Los Angeles area, with a further 500 Marines at Camp Pendleton on standby. Their stated mission is to protect federal personnel and property only.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem insisted the Guard’s role was limited to providing security around buildings and for peaceful demonstrators and law enforcement. But Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accused the Trump administration of inflaming tensions. “I don’t want people to fall into the chaos that I believe is being created by the administration completely unnecessarily,” she said. Bass also criticised violent elements among the protesters.
Immigration advocacy leader Vanessa Cárdenas, of America’s Voice, said the Trump administration was “trumping up an excuse to abuse power and deliberately stoke and force confrontations around immigration”.
Trump has set Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) a daily target of 3,000 arrests, and vowed to carry out record deportations while tightening control of the US-Mexico border. Civil rights groups say that even permanent residents have been swept up in the enforcement effort, prompting a flurry of legal challenges.
On Sunday, the FBI offered a $50,000 reward for information on a suspect accused of injuring a federal officer by throwing rocks at police vehicles in Paramount.
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum added her voice to the criticism, saying: “We do not agree with this way of addressing the immigration issue. The phenomenon will not be addressed with raids or violence. It will be by sitting down and working on comprehensive reform.”
Trump’s legal justification for deploying the National Guard cites Title 10 of the US Code, which permits federal activation of Guard troops in cases of rebellion. However, legal experts note the statute also requires orders to be issued through state governors — a step Newsom says was bypassed.
“Title 10 allows only limited activities for federalised National Guard troops — they cannot engage in standard law enforcement,” said legal analysts familiar with the statute.
Despite this, Trump’s directive states that troops will “temporarily protect ICE and other United States government personnel who are performing federal functions… and protect federal property, at locations where protests… are likely to occur.”
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that active-duty troops could be mobilised if violence continues. “The Marines at Camp Pendleton remain on high alert,” he said.
The legal and political battle over the deployment continues to intensify, as Los Angeles braces for more demonstrations in the days ahead.
Boluwatife Enome
Follow us on:
