National Guard troops began deploying in Los Angeles early Sunday under orders from U.S. President Donald Trump following escalating clashes between federal immigration officers and protesters attempting to block deportations. The initial deployment, limited to downtown L.A., marks the first time in decades the National Guard has been activated in California without a governor’s request.
Members of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were seen at the federal complex housing the Metropolitan Detention Center. Their presence comes after two days of confrontations, most notably in the heavily Latino city of Paramount, where protesters hurled rocks and concrete at Border Patrol vehicles and agents responded with tear gas, flash-bangs, and pepper balls.
Trump called the protests “a form of rebellion” and announced the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles. Though protests have remained relatively small and localized, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the Guard’s role was to “keep peace” while ensuring “law and order.” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that active-duty marines may be sent if violence escalates.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move as “purposefully inflammatory,” calling Hegseth’s marine deployment threat “deranged behavior.” The Brennan Center for Justice noted it was unprecedented in modern times for a state’s Guard to be federalized against the will of its governor.
This comes after a week of immigration sweeps that led to more than 100 arrests in the L.A. area, including a prominent union leader. The unrest follows raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and continued protests outside federal buildings, with arrests made after authorities declared unlawful assemblies.
Swifteradio.com
