President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to California on Saturday, deliberately overriding the authority of Governor Gavin Newsom.
This action aims to suppress demonstrations opposing immigration operations conducted by federal authorities.
This implementation of federal legislation—specifically Article 10 U.S.C. 12406 of the Armed Services Code—grants the president the power to mobilize National Guard units from a state “in the proportion deemed necessary to repel an invasion, suppress an insurrection, or enforce laws” when U.S. governmental authority is compromised.
“Given that demonstrations or acts of violence directly interfere with law enforcement, they constitute a form of insurrection against the authority of the United States government,” stated the presidential directive.
This decision by Donald Trump represents an unprecedented event in modern U.S. history. According to Elizabeth Goitein, director of the Liberty and National Security program at the Brennan Center for Justice, the last similar case occurred in 1965. At that time, President Lyndon B. Johnson sent federal forces to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators—without the state governor’s authorization, as highlighted by the New York Times. “This is the first time since 1965 that a president has federalized a state’s National Guard without receiving a request,” she explained to the New York Times.
California’s Democratic governor strongly opposed this presidential initiative.
“This action is deliberately provocative and will only escalate tensions,” criticized Gavin Newsom, adding: “This is an ill-conceived mission that will undermine public trust.”
On the ground, several protests challenging recent federal interventions at businesses employing undocumented workers have erupted in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas, particularly near a Home Depot store in Paramount. Despite some isolated incidents during certain gatherings, local police forces have not requested federal reinforcement.
From the White House’s perspective, this action is presented as an essential response to an uncontrolled escalation of violence.
Karoline Leavitt, the presidential administration’s spokesperson, stated that the troop deployment was aimed at controlling “violent crowds” who allegedly attacked federal agents and immigration service personnel. This military intervention’s objective is to “end the unchecked chaos that has developed,” she emphasized in an official statement.
Through the X platform, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that the Pentagon was deploying National Guard forces “WITHOUT DELAY,” without specifying their assembly location or the units being mobilized. He added that active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton, located approximately sixty miles south of Los Angeles, were placed “on highest alert.”
The presidential order grants the Defense Secretary broad authority to also mobilize regular armed forces members if circumstances require, to ensure “the protection of federal functions and property.”
The last similar incident occurred in 1992 when George H. W. Bush sent federal troops to Los Angeles to control riots following the acquittal of police officers involved in the Rodney King beating. At that time, the state governor explicitly requested this intervention, as the New York Times noted.
However, many experts consider the current situation particularly concerning.
“The federal government’s decision to take control of the California National Guard without the governor’s approval to suppress demonstrations is deeply troubling,” emphasized Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California Berkeley School of Law. He added that “this amounts to using the military to suppress any form of opposition.”
This presidential initiative aligns with Donald Trump’s previous actions.
During his first term in 2020, he had already deployed military helicopters to disperse peaceful protesters near the White House. Later, at a campaign rally in 2023, Trump explicitly announced his intention to bypass local authorities in his future actions:
“Normally, you have to wait for a request from the governor or mayor — next time, I won’t wait for that authorization,” he declared to his supporters.
California Democratic representatives had long feared such an escalation. Many elected officials are now concerned about the constitutional implications of this decision, in an increasingly tense political climate.
In recent days, Chicago’s population has gathered to protest ICE’s immigrant arrests and the Trump administration’s mass deportation policy. During a demonstration this weekend, federal forces used tear gas against peaceful protesters, according to Chicago police officials.
