By Redacción
redaccion@latinocc.com
Governor Gavin Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta have filed an emergency motion to block former President Donald Trump’s order to militarize Los Angeles, calling the move unlawful and unconstitutional for deploying U.S. troops against American civilians.
The court petition is part of a broader lawsuit against Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and the Department of Defense (DOD), arguing that the activation of more than 4,000 California National Guard troops and the deployment of U.S. Marines without the state’s consent infringes on state sovereignty and violates civil liberties.
“The federal government is now turning the military against American citizens. Deploying trained warfighters into our communities is unprecedented and endangers the core of our democracy. Donald Trump is acting like a tyrant, not a president,” said Gov. Newsom.
Attorney General Bonta added: “The president is looking for any excuse to intimidate dissent. It’s not only immoral — it’s illegal. Military forces are not authorized to conduct civilian law enforcement. That’s the job of local police. Trump’s actions are inflaming tensions and threatening public safety.”
The dispute stems from a series of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations launched in the Los Angeles region on June 6. These raids, which lacked coordination with local law enforcement, led to arrests of children, advocates and individuals with no criminal records, triggering widespread protests.
What began as a group of 250 demonstrators on Saturday swelled to more than 3,000 on Sunday after the National Guard was deployed. Although some incidents involved property damage or arrests, most protests were peaceful and exercised First Amendment rights. Local and state authorities had responded effectively and had not requested federal intervention.
On June 7, Trump issued a memorandum federalizing 2,000 National Guard troops for a 60-day period, citing “a form of rebellion against the authority of the United States Government.” The order instructed the Secretary of Defense to coordinate with state governors to assume control of state militias, raising alarm among state officials.
Under the U.S. Constitution and Title 10 authority, the president must obtain a governor’s consent before federalizing the National Guard. Gov. Newsom stated he was neither consulted nor did he approve the deployment, calling it a violation of his role as Commander-in-Chief of California’s National Guard.
The DOD also expanded the Guard’s mission, ordering troops to assist ICE with civilian law enforcement — including detaining immigrants and individuals accused of interfering with operations. This, according to the lawsuit, violates the Constitution and the civil rights of U.S. residents.
“The president’s reckless actions have only created panic, chaos and forced the state to redirect resources to calm a terrorized community,” Newsom said.
California has since mobilized more than 800 additional state and local officers to help manage the situation. Meanwhile, National Guard troops remain stationed outside federal buildings, but local and state forces are handling public safety.
Newsom and Bonta also pointed to hypocrisy in Trump’s past statements. In 2020, Trump said he would not federalize National Guard members without state approval. Even his own Homeland Security secretary had warned that doing so would amount to a direct attack on states’ rights.
“This militarization is not only unnecessary, it’s dangerous. The federal presence is escalating tensions rather than calming them,” Newsom said.
