by Temitope Oladeji
08/6/2025
On Saturday, President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area following two days of unrest triggered by federal immigration enforcement actions.
The White House said the move was aimed at curbing what it sees as “lawlessness” in the wake of protests against the arrest of undocumented migrants.
The decision marks a rare instance of the federal government taking control of a state’s military forces without the consent of the Governor.
California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticized the deployment, calling it “purposefully inflammatory” and warning that it would “only escalate tensions.”
“President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, who blamed Democratic leadership in California for failing to maintain order.
“The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs.”
In recent days, federal agents clashed with demonstrators protesting immigration raids across Los Angeles, a city with a high Latino population.
Flash-bang grenades and tear gas were used to disperse crowds, while several social media videos showed scenes of chaos, including a burning car at a major intersection and protesters hurling rocks and fireworks at officers.
Typically, the National Guard is deployed in natural disaster scenarios or civil unrest, but usually with the cooperation of local authorities.
This time, Governor Newsom said the federal government acted unilaterally.
“The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles, not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle,” Newsom wrote on X. “Don’t give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully.”
The deployment raises tensions between the state and federal government, reigniting long-standing political friction between the Republican president and the Democratic governor.