
Los Angeles protests: Newsom requests Trump administration rescind troop deployment order
9 June 2025 08:52
Los Angeles (dpa)California Governor Gavin Newsom has formally requested the Trump administration rescind an order deploying National Guard troops to Los Angeles.National Guard troops began arriving in the city on Sunday amid ongoing protests against immigration raids. Trump signed a memorandum on Saturday deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen "to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester," the White House said.Newsom made the request via a letter, which he then shared on X, to Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth.
"We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty - inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed," Newsom wrote.
I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command.
We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while… pic.twitter.com/SYIy81SZdH — Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) June 8, 2025
"Rescind the order. Return control to California."Saturday's order is believed to be the first time in 60 years that a president has deployed a state's National Guard without the governor's consent.
The last instance was in 1965, when President Lyndon B Johnson used troops to protect predominantly Black demonstrators during the civil rights movement in Alabama.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The National
an hour ago
- The National
LA protesters burn cars and block road as thousands rally against Donald Trump's immigration crackdown
Thousands of protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday in response to Donald Trump 's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard, blocking off a major road and setting cars on fire as law enforcement used tear gas and rubber bullets to control the crowd. Police patrolled the streets on horseback while other officers in riot gear lined up behind Guard troops deployed to protect federal facilities, including a detention centre where immigrants were taken in recent days. Police declared an unlawful assembly. Protesters grabbed chairs from a nearby public park to form a makeshift barrier, throwing objects at police on the other side. Others standing above the closed motorway threw chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles parked on the motorway. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover. It was the third day of demonstrations against an immigration crackdown by the Trump administration, with the arrival of around 300 federal troops spurring anger and fear among residents. Mr Trump ran for election last year on a campaign promise to conduct the largest deportation drive in the nation's history. Since taking office, he has charged US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a federal law enforcement agency, with detaining people living in the US without documentation. The White House recently set a goal for its agents to arrest at least 3,000 migrants a day. Thousands have been swiftly deported, sometimes without due process. The sweeping raids have also affected people with no criminal record and others who are legal residents in the US. More than 200 migrants, primarily from Venezuela, have been sent to a prison in El Salvador. On Sunday in downtown Los Angeles at least four self-driving Waymo cars were set on fire, sending large plumes of black smoke into the sky as the electric vehicles burned. By the evening, police had issued an unlawful assembly order shutting down several blocks. Flash bangs echoed out every few seconds into the evening. Mr Trump wrote on his on Truth Social platform that the National Guard were doing a 'great job'. 'These radical left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will not be tolerated,' he said, adding that protesters would not be allowed to wear masks. He had previously directed his administration to take all 'necessary' action to 'liberate' Los Angeles. 'Order will be restored, the illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free,' he said. California Governor Gavin Newsom requested in a letter that Mr Trump remove the National Guard, calling their deployment unlawful and a 'serious breach of state sovereignty'. Mr Newsom accused Mr Trump of trying to manufacture a crisis. 'These are the acts of a dictator, not a President,' he wrote in a post on X. The deployment of National Guard troops appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's national guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed Mr Newsom's comments. 'What we're seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration,' she said in an afternoon press conference. 'This is about another agenda, this isn't about public safety.' Their admonishments did not deter the Trump administration. 'It's a bald-faced lie for Newsom to claim there was no problem in Los Angeles before President Trump got involved,' White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in a statement in response. The arrival of the National Guard followed two days of protests that began on Friday in downtown Los Angeles before spreading on Saturday to Paramount, a heavily Latino area south of the city, and neighbouring Compton. Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the US, is home to a large immigrant community, predominantly from Mexico and other parts of Central and South America. On Friday federal agents arrested immigrants in LA's fashion district, in a Home Depot car park and at several other locations. The next day, agents were seen at a Department of Homeland Security office near another Home Depot in Paramount, which drew out protesters who suspected another raid. Federal authorities later said there was no enforcement activity at that Home Depot. The week-long tally of immigrant arrests in the LA area has climbed above 100, federal authorities said. Many more were arrested while protesting, including a prominent union leader who was accused of impeding law enforcement. The protests did not reach the size of past demonstrations that brought the National Guard to Los Angeles, including the Watts and Rodney King riots of the 1960s and 1990s, and the 2020 protests against police violence, in which Mr Newsom requested the assistance of federal troops. The last time the National Guard was activated without a governor's permission was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect a civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Centre for Justice. In a directive on Saturday, Mr Trump invoked a legal provision allowing him to deploy federal service members when there is 'a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States'. Mr Trump told reporters as he prepared to board Air Force One in New Jersey on Sunday that there were 'violent people' in Los Angeles 'and they're not gonna get away with it'. 'We're gonna have troops everywhere. We're not going to let this happen to our country. We're not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden,' he said. About 500 Marines stationed at Twentynine Palms, about 200 kilometres east of Los Angeles, were in a 'prepared to deploy status' on Sunday afternoon, according to the US Northern Command. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lives in Los Angeles, said the immigration arrests and National Guard deployment were designed as part of a 'cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division'. She said she supports those 'standing up to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms'. US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the National Guard are 'specifically trained for this type of crowd situation'. 'Governor Newsom has proven that he makes bad decisions,' Ms Noem told CBS on Sunday. 'The President knows that he makes bad decisions, and that's why the President chose the safety of this community over waiting for Governor Newsom to get some sanity.'


Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Trump's immigration crackdown: What is ICE? All you need to know about LA protests
US President Donald Trump on June 7 ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops from California to Los Angeles in response to growing protests over recent immigration raids. The protests, which have been widely discussed on social media under the hashtags #ICEraids #ICEProtests and #LAProtest, began on June 6 after federal immigration agents from ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) conducted several large-scale raids across Los Angeles. Tensions reached a peak in Los Angeles with the protests stretching into a third consecutive day. These operations are part of President Trump's broader crackdown on undocumented immigrants, which has intensified in recent months. Here's a look at what's happening in Los Angeles and what led to the protests: What is ICE? ICE, which stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is a law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security. It began operating in 2003 after a major government effort to boost national security in the wake of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks. The law enforcement agency is playing a key role in the Trump administration's plans to crack down on illegal immigration. Donald Trump has vowed to deport record numbers of illegal immigrants during his second term, and the White House has set ICE a goal to arrest at least 3,000 migrants each day. Because of that pressure, people who were legally living in the US have been caught up in ICE raids. One of the most notable arrests during these operations was that of 238 men, accused of being Venezuelan gang members, who were deported without being given a chance to stand trial. They were sent directly to a high-security prison in El Salvador, a move that has drawn significant criticism. Why are people protesting the arrests? It's not uncommon for ICE to arrest people it believes are residing illegally in the US. But why are these raids sparking such strong opposition? The agency has faced increasing criticism for using 'extreme tactics' during the raids. ICE frequently publishes social media updates detailing the number of arrests made and even shares photos of those detained. The arrests, being carried out publicly, are seen by many as an effort to sow fear in immigrant communities. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the raids, arguing that they would "sow terror" in neighbourhoods where many residents are undocumented. In a statement posted on X, Mayor Bass also emphasised that her office "will not stand for this". We will not stand for this. — Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) June 6, 2025 The nature of the raids has been particularly controversial. ICE operations have targeted locations like hardware stores, garment factories, and warehouses, where many undocumented workers are employed. "I am deeply angered by what has taken place," Mayor Bass said in a statement. In another statement posted on X, she also emphasised the fear these raids generate for families. As a result of immigration raids, parents are afraid to take their kids to school, workers are unsure if they should go to work tomorrow, and young people are worried about their future. That does not make L.A. safer. We are strong. We are resilient. We are in this together. — Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) June 9, 2025 Why was Los Angeles targeted? Los Angeles, in particular, has been a primary target for ICE. Since Trump returned to office, California, along with other states like New York and Illinois, has seen a surge in immigration enforcement activity, according to a report published by Axios on June 3. These states are considered "blue" because they mostly vote in favour of the Democratic Party in presidential election, and are home to large immigrant populations. California, for example, has the largest immigrant population in the US, with nearly 10.6 million foreign-born residents, making up about 22 per cent of the nation's total immigrant population. Of those, approximately 1.8 million were undocumented as of 2022, according to the Pew Research Center. In a post on Truth Social, Trump declared that Los Angeles had been "invaded" by "illegal aliens and criminals", framing the immigration issue as a national security threat.


Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Trump travel ban comes into effect, barring citizens of 12 nations from entering US
President Donald Trump's sweeping new travel ban came into effect early Monday immediately after midnight, barring citizens from a dozen nations from entering the United States and reviving a divisive measure from his first term. The move is expected to disrupt refugee pathways and further restrict immigration as the Trump administration expands its crackdown on illegal entries. Many of the nations covered by the restrictions have adversarial relations with the United States, such as Iran and Afghanistan, while others face severe crises, like Haiti and Libya. In announcing his restrictions last week, Trump said the new measure was spurred by a recent "terrorist attack" on Jews in Colorado. The group had been protesting in solidarity with hostages held in Gaza when they were assaulted by a man the White House said had overstayed his visa. That attack, Trump said, "underscored the extreme dangers posed to our country by the entry of foreign nationals who are not properly vetted" or who overstay their visas. The move bans all travel to the United States by nationals of Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen, according to the White House. Trump also imposed a partial ban on travelers from Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela. Some temporary work visas from those countries will be allowed. New countries could be added, Trump warned, "as threats emerge around the world". Mehria, a 23-year-old woman from Afghanistan who applied for refugee status, said the new rules have trapped her and many other Afghans in uncertainty. "We gave up thousands of hopes and our entire lives... on a promise from America, but today we are suffering one hell after another," she told AFP. World Cup, Olympics, diplomats excluded The ban will not apply to athletes competing in the 2026 World Cup, which the United States is co-hosting with Canada and Mexico, or in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, Trump's order said. Nor will it apply to diplomats from the targeted countries. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk warned that "the broad and sweeping nature of the new travel ban raises concerns from the perspective of international law". US Democratic lawmakers and elected officials blasted the ban as draconian and unconstitutional. "I know the pain that Trump's cruel and xenophobic travel bans inflict because my family has felt it firsthand," congresswoman Yassamin Ansari, who is Iranian-American, posted Sunday on X. "We will fight this ban with everything we have." Rumors of a new travel ban had circulated following the Colorado attack, with Trump's administration vowing to pursue "terrorists" living in the United States on visas. US officials said suspect Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian national according to court documents, was in the country illegally having overstayed a tourist visa, but that he had applied for asylum in September 2022. Trump's new travel ban notably does not include Egypt. His proclamation said Taliban-ruled Afghanistan and war-torn Libya, Sudan, Somalia and Yemen lacked "competent" central authorities for processing passports and vetting. Iran was included because it is a "state sponsor of terrorism," the order said. For the other countries, Trump's order cited an above-average likelihood that people would overstay their visas.