ICYMI: Ending Trump’s unlawful militarization of Los Angeles

Taking action early 

On Friday, June 6, 2025, the federal government, through Immigration and Customs Enforcement, began conducting widespread operations throughout Los Angeles without notifying local law enforcement. ICE officers sparked panic with military-style operations and the arrest and detention of children. This panic quickly grew into outrage, as community members stood up to make their voices heard through spontaneous protests. Local law enforcement, despite the lack of communication or advance notice about the raids from the federal government, responded quickly to keep the peace and quell any unrest. California has a robust array of law enforcement resources, which it quickly began to mobilize, without requesting federal assistance. Despite the lack of need to escalate the response, President Trump declared on June 7 that he was taking over the state’s National Guard and would begin deploying thousands of soldiers into the Los Angeles community.

Trump’s action was unnecessary, unwelcome, and unsafe. Before Trump federalized the National Guard, Governor Newsom had already deployed additional California Highway Patrol officers to Los Angeles to assist with safety on regional highways and enlisted local law enforcement mutual aid partners to help keep the peace.

And again, as is standard practice, Governor Newsom mobilized, through a pre-deployment, additional resources across the Golden State ahead of the “No Kings” nationwide protests — which went peacefully. Instead of easing tension, Trump’s deployment of military officials to Los Angeles only drew more protesters, requiring state law enforcement officials to increase their efforts to maintain order. 

Requesting immediate removal  

On Sunday, June 8, the day after Trump’s unprecedented takeover of a California National Guard unit , Governor Newsom formally requested the federalization of the National Guard members be rescinded — and the state regain control, rightfully.

Action in the courts

Governor Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit requesting a stay on Trump’s unlawful order to federalize the National Guard unit, and shortly afterwards, filed an emergency motion for a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO). Read a step-by-step blog post about why Trump’s militarization is illegal. 

On Thursday, June 12, a federal judge in San Francisco sided with the Governor — ordering the Trump Administration to return the federalized National Guard unit (at this point numbering 4,000 soldiers) back to Governor Newsom’s command. A 3-judge appellate panel will now decide whether to let the district court judge’s order take effect sometime after June 17. See the Governor’s argument in support of the Judge’s order here.

Governor Newsom is standing up for the rights of all Americans, as President Trump’s order was not only directed at California, but suggested he could assume control of any state’s militia, using soldiers as a police force against American citizens.

Hypocrisy of the Trump Administration 

In 2020, President Trump told George Stephanopoulos: “We have laws. We have to go by the laws. We can’t move in the National Guard — I can call an insurrection — but there is no reason to ever do that, even in a Portland case. We can’t call in the National Guard unless we’re requested by a Governor.” 

In 2024, Secretary Kristi Noem — then a sitting Governor — said to Sean Hannity on Fox News: “If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on state’s rights…South Dakota defends the Constitution.”

See the prior times the Trump Admin didn’t federalize a state’s national guard — though conditions were likely worse than Los Angeles.

Military veterans speaking out

Veterans are speaking out over the unnecessary and inflammatory actions.  

• Janessa Goldbeck, U.S. Marine Corps Veteran, Senior Advisor of VoteVets said: “When a president uses the military to police his own people, we are no longer in the realm of democratic governance—we are witnessing the rehearsal of authoritarian rule.” 

And former secretaries of the Army and Navy and retired four-star admirals and generals filed an amicus brief warning of the grave risks associated with the Trump administration’s illegal militarization of downtown Los Angeles.

• Former U.S. Army and Navy secretaries and retired four-star admirals and generals have said: “While the President is entitled to criticize his opponents in political terms, involving the military in domestic political controversies risks harming the military’s ability to recruit and retain servicemembers and garner broad public support for its budgets and programs, therefore undermining its ability to achieve its core mission of protecting the nation. It is precisely for this reason that the military should be kept out of domestic law enforcement whenever possible.”

$134 million reasons why this is wrong 

As the federal government adds to the open deficit tab, taxpayers are footing the $134 million militarization display in Los Angeles where Trump illegally took control over state National Guard units. Trump federalized 4,000 National Guard soldiers and deployed 700 Marines to use as pawns in Los Angeles – turning the military into his own personal police force. Even as tensions rise in the Middle East, in an unprecedented move, there are now more American troops deployed in Los Angeles than in Iraq and Syria combined.

Threats to Californians 

Governor Newsom launched a new effort to recruit for one of the world’s leading firefighting departments, CAL FIRE. The effort coincides with President Trump’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles cuts into valuable firefighting resources — roughly 300 California National Guard fire crews have been diverted to armories in the Los Angeles region, cutting CalGuard’s firefighting force by three-quarters. This is on top of the Trump administration’s cuts to the U.S. Forest Service, which also threatens the safety of communities across the states.

President Trump’s proposing to gut public safety funding across the country — putting the safety and lives of all Americans at risk. At a time when violent crime is dropping, Trump’s so-called “big beautiful bill” threatens to erase substantial progress on public safety, at a time when exactly the opposite is needed.

In constant contact with law enforcement

The Governor has met multiple times with local law enforcement leaders on the ground, and with state officials. The Governor announced that 800+ local and state law enforcement would be “surged” into the Los Angeles area to de-escalate the situation manufactured by Trump.