California governor files emergency motion to block Trump's deployment of troops to Los Angeles
'Trump is turning the US military against American citizens,' says Gavin Newsom
HOUSTON, United States
California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday filed a motion to block President Donald Trump's deployment of federal troops to Los Angeles to handle the ongoing immigration protests in that US state.
"I just filed an emergency motion to block Trump’s illegal deployment of Marines and National Guard in Los Angeles," Newsom said in a statement on X.
"Trump is turning the US military against American citizens," he added.
Nearly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 US Marines have been deployed to Los Angeles under Trump's command.
The president originally sent 2,000 guardsmen to help protect federal buildings and personnel in Los Angeles amid protests of the detention of suspected illegal immigrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
The demonstrations have been going on since Friday and nearly 100 protesters were arrested on Monday alone, according to law enforcement.
Newsom's request to block Trump's use of military force is in direct response to the government changing its orders to use the California National Guard to support ICE raids.
Newsom said the Pentagon planned to use the guard soldiers, who were federalized by Trump over the weekend, to start providing support for immigration operations, including holding secure perimeters around areas where raids are taking place and securing streets for immigration agents.
"The courts must immediately block these illegal actions," said Newsom.
Trump has justified his orders, saying that federal troops were necessary because local law enforcement were not doing their job properly to keep the peace.
"If we didn't get involved ... right now Los Angeles would be burning," Trump told reporters at a news conference.
While the president did not say he considered the protests an insurrection, he did say he would invoke the Insurrection Act if he sees it as necessary.
"If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it," said Trump.
"These are paid insurrectionists, these are paid troublemakers," the president claimed, without evidence.
