A contentious decision by US President Donald Trump to deploy 2,000 National Guardsmen to Los Angeles has sparked intense criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom. The deployment is aimed at quelling violence against federal border patrol agents, but Newsom views it as a “purposefully inflammatory” move that could escalate tensions. The White House justified the decision, citing two days of protests and assaults on US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel during immigration operations in Southern California.
The situation on the ground has been volatile, with anti-ICE protests on Saturday turning into violent clashes in Paramount. A crowd gathered near a Home Depot, where ICE said no raid occurred, but Border Patrol personnel and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies were forced to use tear gas and “less-lethal rounds” after being confronted by unruly crowds. Similar clashes took place on Friday, resulting in 44 administrative arrests during three ICE raids in Los Angeles.
Governor Newsom has urged demonstrators to “speak out peacefully” and warned against using violence. He also accused the federal government of seeking to create a spectacle by deploying the National Guard, saying, “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 emphasized that the California Highway Patrol’s role is to maintain safety on highways, not to assist in federal immigration enforcement.
Federal officials have criticized the Los Angeles Police Department for its slow response to a disturbance at a federal building on Friday night, with DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemning the “violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters” as “despicable.” Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna reported that his department supported fellow officers after federal agents came under attack on Saturday, with a crowd of 350-400 people throwing objects at the agents.
The Department of Homeland Security reported 118 arrests from ICE operations in Los Angeles over the past week, including five individuals identified as gang members with prior convictions for drug trafficking and assault. The agency also cited a significant increase in assaults on officers and doxxing of agents’ family members. As tensions continue to rise, Governor Newsom’s warning that the federal government is “sowing chaos” to justify escalation has added to the sense of unease in the city. The deployment of National Guardsmen is likely to remain a contentious issue, with many questioning the need for such a move and others seeing it as a necessary step to restore order.
