Donald Trump sends additional troops to curb LA protests
The Pentagon on Monday announced that US President Donald Trump is sending an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.The move comes as California claims the deployment is unlawful and politically motivated.Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell posted on X: “At the order of the President, the Department of Defense is mobilising an additional 2,000 California National Guard to be called into federal service to support ICE and to enable federal law-enforcement officers to safely conduct their duties.”The move adds to the 2,000 troops already authorised by Trump, with 1,000 on the ground by midday Monday. The full deployment is intended to manage escalating protests across Los Angeles triggered by immigration raids.California officials have hit back sharply. Governor Gavin Newsom called the deployment “illegal and immoral” and accused the president of acting recklessly. “This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego,” he wrote on social media. Newsom also called the decision “disrespectful to our troops”.California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a lawsuit against the federal government on Monday, seeking a restraining order to block the president’s action. “There is no migrant invasion. There is no rebellion. The president’s decision to federalise the California National Guard is unlawful,” he said.Tensions further escalated after Trump and his border adviser, Tom Homan, openly discussed the possibility of arresting Newsom if he interfered with immigration enforcement. “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great,” Trump said. Newsom responded: “The President of the United States just called for the arrest of a sitting Governor. This is a day I hoped I would never see in America.”The Pentagon is also preparing to send around 700 Marines from southern California to Los Angeles, according to three US officials.On the ground, city remains tense. Fires burned over the weekend and ash covered the streets around Los Angeles City Hall. Protesters demanded broader immigration reforms. Across the state, more demonstrations were planned, including inside Trump Tower in Manhattan.The Los Angeles Police Department said it used tear gas and fired more than 600 rubber bullets and other crowd-control weapons during the weekend protests. Officers arrested 50 people across Saturday and Sunday on charges including looting, attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail, and assaulting police. Five officers had minor injuries.The week’s immigration raids have led to over 100 arrests, federal authorities confirmed. Many more were taken into custody during protests.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass warned of further unrest. “It’s just a recipe for pandemonium that is completely unnecessary,” she told CNN. “Protesters are prepared to respond quickly if they see ICE in action.”Trump has defended his decision, saying the city would have been “completely obliterated” without the National Guard. On Monday, he criticised Newsom again, calling him “grossly incompetent.”