Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Tuesday filed for an emergency order against President Donald Trump and the Department of Defense, seeking to block what he warned is the “unlawful militarization of Los Angeles.”
“Defendants intend to use unlawfully federalized National Guard troops and Marines to accompany federal immigration enforcement officers on raids throughout Los Angeles,” the filing ominously predicts. “They must be stopped, immediately.”
According to the motion, the Trump administration intends to use federalized California National Guard troops to provide support for counter-immigration operations ― and not for protecting federal buildings, as Trump has claimed.
“Specifically, these activities ― scheduled to begin today, June 10, 2025 ― will include ‘holding a secure perimeter in communities around areas where immigration enforcement activities would take place, and securing routes over public streets where immigration enforcement officers would travel.’”
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer declined to issue an immediate restraining order, but did agree to schedule a hearing on the motion Thursday.
In the meantime, Immigration and Customs Enforcement appeared to be doing what Newsom had predicted. The agency’s social media account published photos Tuesday afternoon of what appear to be National Guard soldiers, dressed in fatigues and armed with semiautomatic rifles, standing guard while masked officers in the background conduct arrests.
The filing notes that on Saturday, before federal troops were deployed, an estimated 250 people were protesting ICE raids in the city the day before. Once Trump ordered in the military, that number swelled to more than 3,000.
“The President is looking for any pretense to place military forces on American streets to intimidate and quiet those who disagree with him. It’s not just immoral — It’s illegal and dangerous,” California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a statement.
“Local law enforcement, not the military, enforce the law within our borders,” he added.
Trump on Monday signed off on the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles, in addition to 700 Marines, leading to accusations of grave federal overreach.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said their arrival, without any advance notice, presented a “significant logistical and operational challenge” to the city, and he was confident LAPD could handle the demonstrations on its own.
That sentiment was shared by Newsom, who said Trump deployed the troops without even bothering to give the state a heads-up.
The 28-page filing notes that, outside of narrow circumstances, National Guard troops can’t be federalized without the consent of the governor, which in this instance clearly did not happen.
That amounts to a clear assault on state sovereignty, the state argued, and suggests Trump could assume control of any state militia.
