logo
Noem weighs in on military presence at LA protests

Noem weighs in on military presence at LA protests

Yahooa day ago

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appeared on CBS's Face The Nation on Sunday morning, where she was interviewed about the large National Guard presence in California.
Trump has said he's deploying thousands of California National Guard troops to Los Angeles to subdue protesters seeking to block ICE from carrying out deportations.
National Guard troops arrive in Los Angeles after days of immigration protests
Face the Nation's Margaret Brennan asked Noem about the units currently being deployed. Noem emphasized that Trump's main focus is the safety of law enforcement officers.
Margaret Brennan: 'We are seeing from the President's proclamation that he can federalize- he says, 2000 California National Guard forces for 60 days under Title 10 authorities. Which units are being deployed? Are they military police, and exactly what are their orders?'
Kristi Noem: 'He's putting the safety of our law enforcement officers first. So these 2000 National Guard soldiers that are being engaged today are ones that are specifically trained for this type of crowd situation, where they'll be with the public and be able to provide safety around buildings and to those that are engaged in peaceful protests'
Margaret Brennan: 'Our CBS team is reporting that the California National Guard officers are at that Edward Roybal Center in LA. This is a plaza with a federal building, courtrooms are there, a processing center, a detention center, a veterans' clinic. Are the soldiers going to remain around the federal building? Are you planning to have them go throughout the city of Los Angeles?'
Kristi Noem: 'I won't speak specifically to all the locations where the national- National Guard soldiers will be deployed to, or where they will be conducting different operations as far as security concerns. They're there at the direction of the President in order to keep peace and allow people to be able to protest, but also to keep law and order. That is incredibly important to the President. He recognizes he was elected to make sure that every single person in this country was treated exactly the same, and that we would enforce the laws.'
California governor Gavin Newsom has reportedly objected the national guard being deployed without his request, according to the Breannan Center for Justice. Both Trump and Noem have showed disdain for governor Newsom's handling of the situation.
State's attorney: 'ICE agents acted reasonably'
Margaret Brennan: 'California's governor doesn't want the federalized system here. He says he's got it under control. … He says the Trump administration is seeking a spectacle here. He's saying to protesters, don't get violent, don't engage.'
Kristi Noem: 'Well, if he was doing his job, then people wouldn't have gotten hurt the last couple of days. … Governor Newsom has proven that he makes bad decisions. 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. And that's one of the reasons why these National Guard soldiers are being federalized so they can use their special skill set to keep peace. We're not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen.'
In a post on President Trump's social media platform 'Truth Social', he said that masks would not be allowed to be worn at protests. Brennan asked Noem how this would be enforced.
Margaret Brennan: 'President Trump said masks will not be allowed to be worn at protests. Who's going to enforce that and how? And how can you justify it when law enforcement officials have their faces covered?'
Kristi Noem: 'You know what I would say is that the law is going to be enforced, and that I- what the laws are in this country is what we are doing. …It's for the safety of those individuals or the work that they're doing as far as protecting their identity so they can continue to do investigative work, so.'
Margaret Brennan: 'But are you tasking the National Guard soldiers with removing masks from protesters?' Brennan asked.
Kristi Noem: 'National Guard soldiers are there to provide security for operations and to make sure that we have peaceful protests. So that's what their work is, and I won't get more specific on that'
Brennan also brought up the concerns from protesters about the conditions that detainees are facing in the facilities they are being held in.
Margaret Brennan: 'The National Guard troops centered around this Roybal center, CBS is reporting undocumented immigrants attending their ICE check-ins were being detained and held overnight in the basement of that building. And there were lawyers for some of those detainees claiming it was illegal because the migrants were held in makeshift facilities with limited access to food and water. That was one of the sources of the protest. Can you vouch for these facilities? And do you understand what some of these protesters are concerned about?'
Kristi Noem: 'These protests started long before we ended up in the situations that we saw when we were trying to secure these individuals, and the law enforcement officers involved. What I would say is- is getting into individuals in and out of those facilities was extremely challenging when the violence broke out and when things were being thrown at vehicles.'
To watch the full interview with Kristi Noem, visit the CBS News website.
What to know about Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to LA protests
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

L.A. protests live updates: Trump calls up Marines, doubles Guard deployment; Newsom to sue again
L.A. protests live updates: Trump calls up Marines, doubles Guard deployment; Newsom to sue again

Washington Post

time22 minutes ago

  • Washington Post

L.A. protests live updates: Trump calls up Marines, doubles Guard deployment; Newsom to sue again

In a sharp escalation, the Trump administration doubled its initial National Guard deployment to Los Angeles on Monday night, pushing the number of assigned military personnel to 4,800 — about 4,100 Guard troops and 700 Marines. California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) called on President Donald Trump to 'Rescind your illegal order immediately' and pledged to file another lawsuit against the administration over sending in Marines, after California sued on Monday over the deployment of the Guard. Police and protesters faced off downtown as demonstrations over immigration raids continued. L.A. residents denounced the Trump administration's actions as an assault on the city's core values. California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to sue the Trump administration over its deployment of 700 Marines to Los Angeles Monday night. This lawsuit would be the second from California, which earlier Monday sued the Trump administration over its order to deploy 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles without the governor's consent. LOS ANGELES — The Pentagon on Monday ordered a battalion of 700 Marines to Los Angeles and mobilized an additional 2,000 National Guard troops as protests of the Trump administration's immigration policies spilled into a fourth day, escalating a confrontation between the White House and the country's most populous state.

LA's Only Elected Republican Reacts to National Guard Troops, ICE Raids
LA's Only Elected Republican Reacts to National Guard Troops, ICE Raids

Newsweek

time27 minutes ago

  • Newsweek

LA's Only Elected Republican Reacts to National Guard Troops, ICE Raids

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The only elected Republican in Los Angeles, Kathryn Barger, warned that there must be close coordination between federal, state, and local agencies if President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to quell the city's riots is to work. Her warning, in an email to Newsweek, comes as Trump clashes with California Gov. Gavin Newsom and LA Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, over his deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines. Newsom and Bass oppose the moves, accusing the Republican president of fueling the disorder. Barger, a Los Angeles County Supervisor, is the sole Republican elected to office at the local government level in the LA area. There are no other Republicans on the LA County Board of Supervisors, and none at all elected to the LA City Council. She also called for "transparency, accountability, and respect" from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as it conducts raids across LA, operations that sparked the unrest. Protests in the city against raids by ICE over the weekend have descended into riots and looting. The raids are part of the Trump Administration's effort to deport all illegal immigrants from the U.S., with an emphasis on violent criminals. Newsom and Bass said state and local authorities can handle the situation without National Guard troops. But Trump says he is reestablishing law and order after failures by local and state leadership. "The deployment of National Guard troops is a significant action that must be approached with great care and coordination," Barger told Newsweek. "While I understand the urgency that may prompt federal involvement, I believe any such deployment must be done in close partnership with state and local agencies to ensure the safety and well-being of our communities. "Effective use of this powerful resource depends on clear communication, mutual goals, and a unified command structure. "My focus remains on making sure that all efforts—federal, state, and local—are aligned to deliver real support where it's needed most." This picture taken on June 8, 2025 shows a protestor raising their fist while holding a Mexican flag in front of a Waymo vehicle that was set on fire during a demonstration following federal immigration... This picture taken on June 8, 2025 shows a protestor raising their fist while holding a Mexican flag in front of a Waymo vehicle that was set on fire during a demonstration following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles. More BLAKE FAGAN/AFP via Getty Image Barger also urged ICE to minimize "fear and disruption among law-abiding residents." "Immigration enforcement is a deeply complex and sensitive issue, especially in a diverse region like Los Angeles County," Barger told Newsweek. "Federal agencies like ICE are tasked with upholding the law and I believe it's critical that their operations are conducted with transparency, accountability, and respect for the communities they affect. "My priority is ensuring that all enforcement actions are carried out in a way that upholds public safety while minimizing fear and disruption among law-abiding residents. "Local and federal agencies must work together thoughtfully to maintain trust, protect civil liberties, and ensure due process is respected at every level." This is a developing article. Updates to follow.

Convoy departs from Twentynine Palms as Marines deployed to Los Angeles amid protests
Convoy departs from Twentynine Palms as Marines deployed to Los Angeles amid protests

Yahoo

time33 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Convoy departs from Twentynine Palms as Marines deployed to Los Angeles amid protests

(This story has been updated with additional information.) Roughly 700 Marines from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center Twentynine Palms were expected to be activated and sent to Los Angeles in response to the protests and unrest there, defense officials confirmed Monday afternoon. California Gov. Gavin Newsom immediately blasted the decision to deploy combat troops on American soil as "un-American." In addition to the Marine mobilization, a Pentagon official said later Monday on social media that an additional 2,000 California National Guard are being deployed at the order of President Donald Trump, a couple days after an initial round of hundreds of guard members were sent to LA. A Desert Sun photojournalist observed five buses and six to 10 armed vehicles passing Park Boulevard near Joshua Tree while heading west on Highway 62 — the main route from Twentynine Palms to Los Angeles — shortly after 7 p.m. Monday. At the nearby crosswalk, about 20 protestors were gathered demonstrating against the recent immigration raids. It was unclear what the Marines will be tasked with in Los Angeles, according to CNN, which first reported the mobilization while citing three people familiar with the matter. But one of the people familiar with the mobilization said they will be augmenting the National Guard's presence on the ground in LA. The roughly 700 Marines from 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division "will seamlessly integrate with the Title 10 (National Guard) forces under Task Force 51 who are protecting federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area," the U.S. Northern Command said in a prepared statement. "The activation of the Marines is intended to provide Task Force 51 with adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency," the statement added. The battalion is based at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms. Reuters cited an official who said that despite the Marines being sent, the Insurrection Act was not expected to be invoked. The Marines cannot conduct law enforcement activity such as making arrests unless Trump invokes that act, per CNN. The Marine mobilization came after hundreds of California National Guard soldiers were deployed over the weekend in downtown Los Angeles by President Donald Trump, citing 'incidents of violence and disorder' during protests against the administration's deportation policies and recent raids. The U.S. Northern Command posted pictures on social media shortly before 5 p.m. Monday that appeared to be taken at the Twentynine Palms base showing Marines and vehicles as they prepared to depart for the Los Angeles area. The move drew fierce pushback from California's leaders, including Newsom, who say local law enforcement agencies are more than capable of keeping the peace in the city. The National Guard is usually called in at the request of a state's governor; a president has not deployed troops without a governor's request since 1965. The state of California announced Monday that it is suing the Trump administration over its decision to federalize the National Guard and send its members onto city streets. Newsom criticized the decision to mobilize the Marines in Twentynine Palms in a post Monday afternoon on X. "U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes," Newsom said. "They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President. This is un-American." In a statement Monday, Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said his office 'has not received any formal notification that the Marines will be arriving in Los Angeles,' and he urged clear communication to 'prevent confusion' and 'avoid escalation.' 'The possible arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles — absent clear coordination — presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding the city,' McDonnell said in a prepared statement. He added the city's police department, alongside mutual aid partners, have 'decades of experience managing large-scale public demonstrations, and we remain confident in our ability to do so professionally and effectively.' 'That said, our top priority is the safety of both the public and the officers on the ground,' McDonnell said. 'We are urging open and continuous communication between all agencies to prevent confusion, avoid escalation, and ensure a coordinated, lawful, and orderly response during this critical time.' The LAPD arrested 29 people for failure to disperse Saturday evening, according to a press release issued Monday. On Sunday, 21 people were arrested by the department, with charges including attempted murder with a Molotov cocktail, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, looting and failure to disperse. Initial figures show five LAPD officers sustained minor injuries during the confrontations with protestors, according to the department, while five LAPD horses were also 'targeted' and sustained minor injuries. 'Throughout (Sunday) evening, officers encountered groups using handheld radios to coordinate movement and evade law enforcement,' the department said. 'By approximately 2:30 a.m. on June 9, the crowd had (dispersed) enough for LAPD personnel to begin demobilizing.' The police department is reviewing body-worn video and other evidence related to the incidents and said it would work with prosecutors 'to seek appropriate charges for those involved in criminal activity.' Additionally, the LAPD Professional Standards Bureau will investigate allegations of excessive force and other issues related to officers' actions during the protests. Taya Gray and Jay Calderon of The Desert Sun and USA TODAY contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Convoy departs Twentynine Palms after Marines ordered to LA

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store