California has filed a federal lawsuit against President Donald Trump’s administration following the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles to manage protests.
The suit, submitted in federal court, accuses President Trump of unlawfully bypassing Governor Gavin Newsom by federalizing the troops without the state’s permission.
The deployment was justified under a federal law that allows the president to mobilize the National Guard during a ‘rebellion.’
However, California’s lawsuit contends that the current protests do not meet the criteria of rebellion or insurrection.
The document asserts, ‘At no point in the past three days has there been a rebellion or an insurrection. Nor have these protests risen to the level of protests or riots that Los Angeles and other major cities have seen at points in the past.’
Section 12406, the law referred to by the Trump administration, requires that orders for the National Guard come through the state’s governors.
California’s legal action highlights the belief that this federal intervention has heightened tensions and created a climate of ‘fear and terror’ among the local populace.
The lawsuit emphasizes that local law enforcement has effectively managed violence during demonstrations and states, ‘One of the cornerstones of our Nation and our democracy is that our people are governed by civil, not military, rule.’
Governor Newsom expressed strong opposition to the federal action on social media, claiming that Trump’s commandeering of the state’s National Guard is ‘illegal and immoral.’
He announced, ‘California will be taking him to court,’ highlighting the escalating confrontations between state and federal leadership.
In a parallel development, the Trump administration also called up 700 active-duty Marines to assist the National Guard.
While the governor has suggested he may pursue additional legal action regarding this move, specifics on whether this would be a new lawsuit or an extension of the existing one remain unclear.
The conflict has fueled a war of words between Trump and Newsom, with Trump even suggesting that state officials, including Newsom, should be arrested for their stance on the situation.
Trump stated, ‘I would do it if I was Tom,’ referencing his border czar Tom Homan, indicating that he believes Newsom enjoys the publicity from the remarks.
In a subsequent interview, Homan clarified there is ‘no intention to arrest’ Newsom, emphasizing the president’s comments were not indicative of formal action.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta articulated the state’s position, indicating that the federalization of the National Guard undermines local resources needed for effective citizen protection.
Bonta noted on CBS News, ‘The authority that the president cites only allows for the deployment of the National Guard when there’s an invasion by a foreign nation, which there’s not.’
Discussing the impact of the lawsuit, Bonta assured that California has sufficient law enforcement capabilities to manage the protests, stating that most demonstrations have been peaceful aside from isolated incidents of violence.
He reiterated, ‘If the National Guard is ever needed, the governor can call them in.’
However, he stressed that ‘the president calling in the Marines, the president calling in the National Guard, it only stokes the flames, increases tension, creates unneeded provocation.’
National Guard forces were deployed to downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, coinciding with protests that had erupted following immigration enforcement operations conducted on Friday.
Reports indicate that confrontations between law enforcement and demonstrators have sometimes escalated to violence, resulting in dozens of arrests.
As of midday Monday, officials had confirmed 53 arrests related to the protests — with charges ranging from failure to disperse to arson and looting.
The Los Angeles Police Department has taken proactive measures, detaining 31 individuals, while the California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department made additional arrests.
In response to the protests and unrest, President Trump announced on social media that he would send in the National Guard, criticizing Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass in the process.
He labelled the protesters as ‘troublemakers and insurrectionists,’ indicating his firm stance on the matter.
In a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Newsom requested the federal government to withdraw the National Guard, asserting there was ‘no need’ for their presence amid the protests.
Despite a lengthy conversation between the governor and Trump prior to the announcement, it remains unclear when their discussion took place.
An Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson claimed that the enforcement operations had successfully resulted in arrests of dangerous individuals, including a ‘domestic abuser’ and a ‘child rapist.’
The tension between state and federal authorities with regards to the National Guard deployment in response to immigration protests reflects broader national conversations about federal power and local governance.
As the situation continues to unfold, California seeks to reassert control over its National Guard and address the apparent constitutional concerns raised by the federal government’s actions.
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