National Guard troops mobilized to assist with immigration protests in Los Angeles have been redirected to support federal agents enforcing immigration laws on marijuana farms more than 100 miles away in the Coachella Valley, according to court documents submitted by the Trump administration.
Approximately 315 National Guard troops aided the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in executing a federal search warrant on suspected illegal marijuana farms in Thermal, a desert area located about 25 miles southeast of Palm Springs, as confirmed by a DEA spokesperson.
During this operation, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents arrested between 70 and 75 workers for lacking documentation. Additionally, one U.S. citizen was taken into custody for allegedly impeding law enforcement efforts.
The deployment of National Guard members has emerged as a critical point of contention in an ongoing legal conflict between California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump. This dispute questions whether the president has the authority to activate some 4,000 National Guard members to address unrest in Los Angeles.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the violence in Los Angeles likely justified Trump’s decision to deploy troops for the protection of federal personnel and property, overturning a temporary restraining order that would have returned control of the National Guard to Governor Newsom. The appeals court concluded that Trump may retain control over military troops in Los Angeles while the legal battle regarding their deployment is ongoing.
In the recent federal court filing, attorneys from California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office challenged the justification for continued National Guard use, particularly in operations like the marijuana farm raid, which they argued were not directly related to safeguarding federal personnel or property.
Lawyers representing President Trump countered that the Coachella Valley operation is linked to the broader objective of providing protection for immigration enforcement. They suggested that Bonta’s legal team failed to present convincing arguments questioning the administration’s use of military personnel.
Trump’s attorneys maintained that protests and ongoing violence hinder federal agents’ ability to enforce immigration laws. They cited a recent declaration by Ernesto Santacruz, director of the L.A. field office of ICE’s enforcement and removal operations, which addressed persistent unrest in Los Angeles.
According to Santacruz’s declaration, “The presence of the National Guard and other Department of Defense personnel has enabled ICE to continue to carry out its congressionally mandated duties in the Los Angeles area.” He asserted that without the support of the National Guard, ICE would not be able to perform as many enforcement operations as it has accomplished so far.
However, Santacruz’s statement did not mention any incidents of violence or unrest occurring in Riverside County, where the Coachella Valley is located.
The DEA’s Los Angeles Field Division explained that support from several federal agencies was essential for executing the search warrant on the marijuana farms due to the operation’s scale and complexity. Spanning an extensive 787 acres and taking place under temperatures reaching 112 degrees, the operation required a total of 500 personnel, including members from Customs and Border Protection, ICE, the National Guard, and other federal agencies.
The DEA spokesperson noted, “Due to the vast magnitude of the operation, we needed partners to safeguard not just our personnel but also the individuals either working or living on the premises.” During the raid, authorities discovered two men padlocked inside a trailer.
On Monday, Attorney General Bonta’s legal team requested additional information regarding National Guard deployments outside of the Los Angeles area and an update on whether the Trump administration remains incapable of enforcing immigration laws without the National Guard’s assistance.
This ongoing legal dispute underscores the contentious relationship between state and federal authorities over military resources and the enforcement of immigration laws, particularly amid protests and unrest in major urban areas.
image source from：latimes
