Congressional Democrats and administration critics condemned President Donald Trump’s decision this weekend to federalize National Guard troops in California as a serious breach of standards for the involvement of the military in domestic affairs.
“Such unilateral action, taken without consultation with local leaders, risks escalating tensions rather than calming them,” Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a statement Sunday night. “This move sets a troubling precedent for military intervention in local law enforcement.
“It is crucial that decisions of this magnitude are made with transparency, restraint, and respect for constitutional balance.”
Over the weekend, Trump announced plans to deploy 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell the protests over immigration policies and enforcement. About 300 have already arrived in the city to help with peacekeeping activities.
The move came over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called the move “a serious breach of state sovereignty” in a social media post Sunday.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in a statement called Trump’s decision “an abuse of power and a dangerous escalation. It’s what you would see in authoritarian states and it must stop.”
Officials from the veterans organization Common Defense said the moves “undermine civil rights and betray the principles we swore to uphold.” Newsom and others promised to file legal actions in coming days to challenge the president’s decision.
In addition to the Guard actions, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth took to social media late Saturday night to say that if violence in the Los Angeles region continues, “active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized.” Officials said about 500 active-duty personnel are preparing to deploy if needed.
Trump has cited a legal provision that allows him to mobilize federal service members when there is “a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States.”
But critics have called his interpretation of the law an overreaction, and noted that the recent moves were the first time in decades that a state’s National Guard was activated without a request from its governor.
Hegseth is scheduled to testify before the House and Senate Appropriations Committees on Tuesday, where he will likely face additional questions about the military deployments.
The Los Angeles protests were sparked by the arrest of more than 40 individuals in immigration raids across the city Friday. Since then, nearly 60 more have been charged with vandalism and violence for attempts to block federal officials from conducting additional operations.
Trump on social media said the individuals objecting to the immigration raids “are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists.” He also repeatedly criticized Newsom and local Democratic leaders for not taking a stronger stance against the violence.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
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