UPD: The Governor of California appealed to the Secretary of Defense, demanding the cancellation of the federalization of the National Guard in the state. The governor indicated that the president violated the order of federalization, and the Secretary of Defense does not follow the procedure: in particular, not involving the governor himself in the process. The letter also states that the use of the National Guard is excessive and violates the state's sovereignty.
Given that the Attorney General of California is copied, it is quite possible that the state will decide to go to court to challenge the actions of the federal authorities there.
On Sunday, California National Guard troops were sent to the streets of Los Angeles to help suppress the third day of protests against President Donald Trump's immigration measures, which the state's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, called illegal. In an interview with MSNBC, Newsom stated that he plans to sue the administration over the deployment of troops, adding that Trump "created the conditions" for the protests.
Newsom accused Trump of trying to provoke a crisis and violating the sovereignty of the state of California. "These are the actions of a dictator, not a president," he wrote in his post on the site X.
However, Police Chief Jim McDonnell stated at a media briefing on Sunday evening that the protests are getting out of control. Responding to a question about the need to deploy the National Guard, McDonnell said that the police "will not resort to this immediately," but added: "Looking at today's violence, I think we need to reassess."
In his social media post, Trump urged McDonnell to do so. "Don't let these thugs get away with it. Make America great again!!!" demanded Trump.
National Guard troops guarded federal government buildings while police and protesters clashed during separate demonstrations over federal immigration raids in Los Angeles. Police arrested about 30 people over the weekend.
As writes The New York Times, the police declared several rallies "unlawful assemblies," accusing demonstrators of throwing concrete debris, bottles, and other objects at the police.
Videos show several cars of the Waymo company, owned by Alphabet, being set on fire on one of the city's main streets on Sunday evening. One group of demonstrators blocked the 101 freeway, a major highway in the city center.
The U.S. Northern Command reported that 300 California National Guard soldiers were sent to three locations in the Los Angeles area. Their task is to protect federal personnel and property.
On Sunday, Trump called the demonstrators "violent, rebellious mobs" on social media and stated that he instructed his cabinet members to "take all necessary measures" to stop what he called "riots." Speaking to reporters in New Jersey, he threatened violence against demonstrators who spit at police or National Guard soldiers, saying: "They spit, we hit." However, he did not provide any specific cases.
The FBI offered a $50,000 reward for information about a suspect accused of throwing stones at police cars in Paramount, resulting in a federal officer being injured.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that the Pentagon is ready to mobilize troops "in case of continued violence" in Los Angeles, stating that Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton are on "high alert." The U.S. Northern Command stated that about 500 Marines are ready for deployment if ordered.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass accused the Trump administration of fueling tensions by sending the National Guard but condemned protesters who resorted to violence. "I don't want people to get caught up in the chaos, which I believe is being created by the administration completely unnecessarily," Bass said at a press conference.
Trump promised to deport a record number of people in the country illegally and to close the U.S.-Mexico border, tasking ICE with arresting at least 3,000 migrants a day. According to census data, a significant portion of the population of Democratic Los Angeles consists of Latinos and foreigners.
On Sunday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum criticized the U.S. government for immigration raids and the deployment of the National Guard.
As justification for the deployment of the National Guard, Trump cited Section 10 of the U.S. Code on Armed Forces. However, Section 10 also states that "orders for these purposes must be given through the governors of the states."
Section 10 allows the federal government to deploy the National Guard in case of "insurrection or threat of insurrection against the authority of the United States government." These troops are allowed to engage in only limited activities and cannot engage in regular law enforcement activities.
In Trump's memorandum, it is stated that the troops will "temporarily protect ICE employees and other U.S. government agencies performing federal functions, including enforcing federal law, and protect federal property in places where protests against these functions are occurring or may occur."
Photo: Reuters