President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles last weekend to quell protests over his administration's immigration crackdown — a move that drew a strong rebuke from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The protests broke out Friday in downtown Los Angeles in response to a series of raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents seeking to detain undocumented immigrants. Late Saturday night, Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members to protect federal buildings as protests intensified, saying their presence was needed due to "numerous incidents of violence and disorder."
The nature of the protests drew further scrutiny from Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who on Sunday morning posted to X an image of protesters posing in front of a burner car, writing "Another 'mostly peaceful protest' brought to you by @GavinNewsom. DEPORT."
Newsom's press office responded to the post, asking "Are you going to send in the Marines the next time the Philadelphia Eagles win, too?" The response included a photo of a fire set in Center City after the Eagles beat the Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl earlier this year.
Are you going to send in the Marines the next time the Philadelphia Eagles win, too? https://t.co/MYjAnNhFBd pic.twitter.com/WEaAWpCfoL
— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) June 8, 2025
Trump deployed the National Guard without Newsom's consent.
The domestic deployment of the National Guard traditionally has been done by governors within their own states. Trump used the Insurrection Act of 1807 to deploy the National Guard members to Los Angeles. The law allows the president to do so in circumstances that involve civil unrest. The last time a president took such action without a governor's consent was in 1965, when Lyndon B. Johnson deployed National Guard members to Alabama without the request of Gov. George Wallace to protect civil rights demonstrators marching from Selma to Montgomery.
Newsom claimed Monday that Trump acted illegally, saying he intends to sue Trump for deploying the National Guard. Early Monday morning, he said said law enforcement "didn't need" federal help, alleging Trump sought to "manufacture chaos and violence" and succeeded in escalating the tensions.
Sunday was the most intense day of protests, with several clashes between protesters and law enforcement officers, the Associated Press reported. Demonstrators blocked off a portion of Route 101 — one of LA's major freeways — and ignited self-driving Waymo cars. Police deployed tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades in response.
