Trump Deploys Troops As Tensions Rise In Los Angeles \ Newslooks \ Washington DC \ Mary Sidiqi \ Evening Edition \ National Guard troops are now protecting immigration officers during arrests in Los Angeles, expanding beyond their prior duty of guarding federal buildings. Governor Gavin Newsom is challenging the deployment, warning it inflames tensions. President Trump hasn’t ruled out invoking the Insurrection Act as protests continue citywide.
Quick Looks
- National Guard troops now guard ICE officers during raids in Los Angeles.
- Photos show troops providing perimeter protection during enforcement operations.
- Marines and additional Guard forces were deployed amid ongoing protests.
- California filed an emergency legal challenge to halt the troop use.
- Trump has floated invoking the Insurrection Act if unrest escalates.
- Protests continue, with over 100 arrests and scattered property damage.
- LA officials say the military presence undermines public safety response.
- The Pentagon estimates the deployment cost at $134 million.
Deep Look
The federal government escalated its immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles this week, deploying National Guard troops to protect ICE officers actively making arrests — a sharp expansion of their previously limited role guarding federal buildings. The move has prompted intense backlash from California Governor Gavin Newsom, city officials, and civil liberties advocates, as tensions surrounding mass immigration raids spill into a volatile national spotlight.
On Tuesday, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released photos showing National Guard troops standing guard while federal agents conducted arrest operations. According to an ICE statement, the troops are now tasked with “perimeter and personnel protection” for agents executing daily enforcement actions. Although officials emphasized the Guard is not directly conducting arrests, their proximity to active operations marks a significant shift toward military-adjacent law enforcement activity — aligning with President Trump’s promise to ramp up deportation enforcement using all available federal resources.
U.S. officials speaking on background confirmed the Guard’s new role includes securing streets and surroundings where ICE is active. The military’s support, they say, is logistical and protective — not operational — though critics argue that distinction is quickly blurring.
In response, Governor Newsom filed an emergency motion in federal court, seeking to block the deployment of both National Guard members and 700 Marines, who were sent to Los Angeles following protests of Trump’s intensified immigration actions. The governor’s filing argues that the new orders for the Guard — now actively assisting in ICE missions — represent an escalation likely to provoke unrest.
“This is not about public safety,” Newsom said. “This is about political theater, using military force to inflame, intimidate, and escalate.”
The legal battle represents the latest flashpoint in what Trump has described as an all-out push to fulfill his long-standing campaign pledge of mass deportations. The Pentagon revealed that the total cost of the troop deployment — which includes 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines — is estimated at $134 million. The Marines, though trained in crowd control, have no arrest authority, and have not yet been deployed to confront protest activity, according to Marine Corps General Eric Smith.
Still, their presence raises alarms. The Los Angeles Police Department said it was not consulted in the planning of the military’s arrival and warned that the uncoordinated deployment could create operational challenges. Police Chief Jim McDonnell stressed that his officers were fully capable of handling the demonstrations on their own.
“We don’t need federal troops patrolling city streets,” McDonnell said. “That only increases confusion, and risks unnecessary confrontations.”
Despite the escalating controversy, Trump doubled down, leaving open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, a rarely used 19th-century law that allows the president to deploy active-duty military forces within U.S. borders in times of domestic unrest. “If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it,” he said from the Oval Office. “We’ll see.”
In a speech later that day at Fort Bragg — ostensibly commemorating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army — Trump intensified his rhetoric, referring to protesters as “animals” and “a foreign enemy.” He painted Los Angeles as a city in chaos, a claim disputed by Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Newsom, who argue that while protests have occurred, most have been peaceful and manageable.
The protests began last Friday after dozens of workers were detained in sweeping workplace immigration raids. Over the weekend, demonstrations grew, with activists blocking major freeways and setting cars on fire. Police used tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades to disperse crowds. More than 100 arrests were made on Monday evening, mostly for failing to disperse, with some reports of looting and vandalism in areas where protests had already died down.
Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin claimed that protesters had thrown Molotov cocktails, burned vehicles, and set fire to American flags — descriptions intended to justify the increasing federal response. Yet many on the ground describe the protests as having largely calmed, with the focus now on peaceful rallies outside City Hall and other federal buildings, including the immigration detention center.
On Tuesday afternoon, a small group of demonstrators gathered outside a federal complex, only to be quickly declared an unlawful assembly. Police moved in swiftly, ordering dispersal and arresting protesters with zip ties while warning the press to stay back “for their own safety.” Protesters left behind walls of graffiti, including anti-Trump slogans, which were being scrubbed off city landmarks like the Walt Disney Concert Hall by city workers Tuesday morning.
Meanwhile, in Santa Ana, armored National Guard vehicles were seen blocking streets near federal government offices, further underscoring the growing militarization of immigration enforcement.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta has also taken legal action, filing a lawsuit on Monday aiming to halt the deployment altogether. “The president is abusing military force to score political points,” Bonta said. “That’s unconstitutional, dangerous, and we will fight it in court.”
California’s Democratic congressional delegation echoed that sentiment, accusing Trump of manufacturing a crisis. “This is a show of force meant to scare people — not protect them,” one member said.
Even as the administration maintains that the military is only playing a support role, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated this model could become standard. Speaking on Capitol Hill, he said, “I think we’re entering another phase where the National Guard and Reserves become a critical component of how we secure the homeland — especially under President Trump.”
As protests spread to San Francisco, Dallas, and Austin, the situation in Los Angeles has become a focal point in the national debate over immigration, civil liberties, and the limits of presidential power.
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