LOS ANGELES PROTESTS

Protests erupted in Los Angeles following federal immigration raids. President Trump responded by deploying the National Guard, bypassing the state's governor for the first time since 1965. Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass condemned the move as an "inflammatory" and "dangerous escalation," demanding the troops be returned to state command.

Last Updated on 11th June, 2025
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Context:

Protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles led Trump to deploy the National Guard.   

News in Detail

Federal agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted raids in Los Angeles, resulting in arrests of individuals suspected of being in the country without legal permission.

The raids triggered protests. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and other crowd-control munitions.

The Trump administration deployed an initial 2,000 National Guard troops, followed by an additional 2,000 troops and 700 Marines, to Los Angeles. This was done without a request from and against the wishes of California's state government.

National Guard Deployment

The National Guard is a unique branch of the U.S. military that functions under a dual command structure.

  • State Control: The Governor of a state commands the National Guard for state-level missions, such as responding to natural disasters or civil unrest. This is known as "State Active Duty."
  • Federal Control: The President of the United States can "federalize" a state's National Guard, bringing it under federal command for national missions. This is usually done for overseas military operations.

The deployment in Los Angeles is highly unusual because the President federalized the California National Guard for a domestic law enforcement purpose without the governor's consent.

  • The Trump administration has justified the action by mentioning the need to control "violent mobs" and "lawlessness" that it claims California's leadership failed to handle. President Trump has described the protests as "insurrectionist."

Experts note that a president activating a state's National Guard for law enforcement against the governor's wishes is extremely rare. The last such instance was in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson federalized the Alabama National Guard to protect civil rights marchers 

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Source: 

INDIAN EXPRESS

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