California Governor Gavin Newsom speaks during a press conference at Controlled Thermal Resources as lithium extraction takes place behind him in Calipatria, Calif., on Monday, March 20, 2023.
Los Angeles, California – California Governor Gavin Newsom on Saturday condemned President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area in response to intensifying protests over federal immigration enforcement actions.
Calling the move “purposefully inflammatory,” Newsom accused the president of seeking to inflame a volatile situation rather than defuse it. The deployment, announced by Trump’s immigration adviser Tom Homan and formalized in a presidential memorandum, marks a rare federal activation of National Guard troops in defiance of a sitting governor’s opposition.
At the center of the unrest is the small city of Paramount, where clashes between protesters and federal agents erupted for a second straight day. Demonstrators had gathered following a wave of immigration raids targeting local businesses, which led to at least 44 arrests on Friday. Among those detained was David Huerta, president of SEIU California, a prominent labor union leader whose brief hospitalization after his arrest galvanized further protest.
Video footage of Huerta being forcefully taken to the ground circulated widely online, prompting a chorus of criticism from state officials. Newsom characterized Trump’s federal response — and the sudden use of Title 10 to federalize the Guard — as both legally aggressive and politically calculated. “The Guard has been admirably serving LA throughout recovery,” he said in a statement. “This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.”
President Trump, meanwhile, defended the deployment in characteristically combative terms. In a social media post, he referred to Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as leaders who “can’t do their jobs,” warning that “RIOTS & LOOTERS” would be handled the “way it should be.”
Karoline Leavitt, White House press secretary, doubled down on the administration’s stance, claiming that “violent mobs” had attacked immigration officers. Homan, speaking on Fox News, said there would be “consequences” for those who interfered with ICE operations.
Still, local officials argue that the federal intervention is both disproportionate and misaligned with the needs on the ground. “We are in close coordination with the city and county,” Newsom said. “There is currently no unmet need.”
The National Guard’s arrival is currently underway. Whether it brings order or further unrest remains an open question.
