California Governor Gavin Newsom has filed an emergency motion in federal court seeking to block the Trump administration from using National Guard troops and US Marines in immigration raids across Los Angeles, escalating a fierce standoff between state and federal authorities.
“Trump is turning the US military against American citizens,” Newsom wrote on X (formerly Twitter), as he accused the president of weaponizing troops against Californians in the wake of days-long protests over immigration enforcement.
Newsom’s legal filing, submitted on Tuesday, comes as President Donald Trump ramps up his controversial deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to the city. While initially tasked with protecting federal buildings and personnel, the new filing says military support is shifting toward direct assistance in immigration operations, including securing raid locations and controlling surrounding streets.
A declaration from Paul Eck, deputy general counsel for the California Military Department, submitted as part of the filing, warned that “the Pentagon plans to direct the California National Guard to support immigration operations,” blurring the line between civil assistance and immigration enforcement.
“It’s a sense of intimidation and fear that is just so unnecessary and so corrosive to our city,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a Tuesday press conference. She added that ICE raids are expected to continue for 30 days or more.
Bass said she planned to personally ask Trump to halt the operations. Meanwhile, Los Angeles police confirmed over 100 arrests in connection with the protests, and acknowledged the use of “numerous less-lethal rounds” to disperse crowds.
Meanwhile, Trump on Tuesday issued a stern warning to anyone planning to protest during the upcoming military parade on June 14, which marks the US Army’s 250th anniversary in Washington. The large-scale event, scheduled to take place on the National Mall and through the streets of Washington, also coincides with Trump’s 79th birthday.
(With inputs from Associated Press)
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