Trump authorizes sending another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after mobilizing 700 Marines.

WashingtonAs the fourth day of protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles progressed, the Pentagon confirmed the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to the city. The decision brings the current strength of the force mobilized by the federal government to around 4,000 to quell the demonstrations. "At the direction of the President, the Department of Defense is mobilizing an additional 2,000 California National Guard members for federal duty to support ICE [immigration agents] and enable federal agents on the watch to carry out their duties," Sean Parnell wrote in X. "The new reinforcements are expected to arrive within a day or two, as the order was issued Monday night." The decision comes just hours after the government also announced it is deploying 700 marinas in California. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth already said over the weekend that he was prepared for it. The first 2,000 National Guard troops were deployed Saturday, against the authority of California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, who has also opposed this second deployment.

"Trump is trying to cause chaos by sending 4,000 troops to US soil. Irresponsible agitators who take advantage of Trump's chaos will be held accountable. that it was "working with local partners to send more than 800 additional state and local law enforcement officers to ensure the safety of our communities."

Since the protests erupted over the weekend, Democrats have been denouncing how the Donald Trump administration is trying to turn the city into a powder keg to justify a crackdown on migrants. Los Angeles has become the stage where the Republican is also holding a standoff with the Democratic governor, who had tried to make California the spearhead of the resistance against his policies.

California had sued Trump on Monday for ordering the deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles to quell the riots, a measure that bypasses Newsom's authority as governor. In turn, Trump stated that he would support Newsom's arrest for opposing the deployment of this armed force in the Californian city.

The director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Tom Homan, threatened on Saturday to arrest anyone who obstructed the enforcement of immigration laws in California, including the state's governor and the mayor of Los Angeles. Newsom challenged him in his response and encouraged him to arrest him if he dared. This Monday, Trump declared from the White House: "I would do it [arrest the California governor] if I were Tom [Homan]. I think it's fantastic. Gavin [Newsom] likes publicity. He's done a terrible job. I like Gavin Newsom, he's a nice guy, but he's deeply incompetent."

In a post on Truth Social, Trump once again defended sending 2,000 National Guard troops to the city: "We made the great decision to send in the National Guard to deal with the violent and instigated riots in California. If we hadn't done so, Los Angeles. Newscum, and Mayor Karen Bass, should be saying, "Thank you, President Trump, you're so wonderful! We would be nothing without you, sir." Instead, they've chosen to lie to the people of California and the United States by saying we weren't needed and that these are peaceful protests."

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has confirmed that the state is suing the Trump administration for "federalizing" the National Guard and sending troops to Los Angeles. Bonta claims the government has "abused its federal power and violated the Tenth Amendment" of the Constitution, in addition to skipping "strategic steps that should have been taken to prevent the escalation of the unrest."

The armed forces are normally under the control of state governors, although the president can occasionally order them to act. To do so, they must normally invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, which is highly ambiguous but allows for the mobilization of military assets within the country during times of rebellion or unrest. Trump has not yet invoked this law, but rather another law in the legislative corpus (10 USC 12406). The last time a president mobilized the National Guard without a request from a state governor was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson did so to protect civil rights protesters in Alabama.

Trump has unilaterally decided to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles, despite opposition from the governor, who has denounced it as a "a purely inflammatory movement that will only escalate tensions"The city's mayor, Karen Bass, has also criticized the measure, considering it a "deliberate" gesture to increase the sense of chaos in the city. In her opinion, the armed force will not serve to reduce tensions.

Trump's current reaction is a far cry from what he had five years ago, during the protests over the death of George Floyd. His Secretary of Defense, Mark Esper, held back at the time. "The option of using active duty forces in a law enforcement capacity should only be used as a last resort, and only in the most urgent and serious situations," Esper said at the time.

This past weekend, some protesters clashed with police and engaged in several acts of vandalism, including burning vehicles. At least two more demonstrations are planned for the city this Monday: one against the new measure that went into effect this Monday and prohibits travel to the United States for citizens of twelve countries and establishes restrictions for citizens of seven other countries; and the other, for demanding the release of union leader David Huerta, arrested on Friday in a raid on a company in the city.