Newsom calls National Guard deployment ‘unlawful' as immigration clashes rock LA
SACRAMENTO, California — Gov. Gavin Newsom's administration called the Trump administration's deployment of National Guard troops to the Los Angeles area 'unlawful,' urging Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Sunday to back down as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement.
The Trump administration's extraordinary deployment of the Guard to quell immigration protests in Southern California came without necessary coordination with California officials, Newsom's legal affairs secretary wrote in a letter to Hegseth. Newsom's team argued that state and local police agencies had the situation under control and that federal intervention would only intensify the conflict.
'There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation,' Newsom Legal Affairs Secretary David Sapp wrote.
President Donald Trump's move to federalize a state's National Guard without the governor's approval was the first of its kind since Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to Alabama in 1965. Around 300 National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday as protests of immigration raids stretched into their third day. At one demonstration, law enforcement used tear gas on protesters who approached National Guard troops, though it was unclear which law enforcement agency threw the smoke-filled canisters, the Associated Press reported.
Protests sprang up in downtown Los Angeles Friday and continued in the region throughout the weekend, with demonstrators facing off with federal agents Saturday in response to an immigration raid at a suburban Home Depot.
In an AP video, protesters blocked off a major roadway, many of them waving Mexican flags and holding signs as traffic came to a standstill.
Newsom traveled to Los Angeles on Sunday to meet with local officials and be briefed by law enforcement, according to a spokesperson for the governor.
Democrats in California and across the country rallied around Newsom as he sought to push back on the Trump administration's intercession. Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who lives in Los Angeles, called Trump's action a 'dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos.'
'This Administration's actions are not about public safety — they're about stoking fear. Fear of a community demanding dignity and due process,' Harris, who is considering running for California governor next year or president in 2028, wrote in a statement.
The nation's Democratic governors derided Trump's Guard takeover as an 'ineffective and dangerous' override of Newsom's authority.
'President Trump's move to deploy California's National Guard is an alarming abuse of power,' the Democratic chief executives wrote in a joint statement. 'Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guard and the federal government activating them in their own borders without consulting or working with a state's governor is ineffective and dangerous.'
The governors' stand came as the Trump administration considers deploying Marines to Los Angeles County. A Defense official told POLITICO that 500 members of the military branch were given 'prepare to deploy' orders and could be sent to the region.
'We're going to have troops everywhere,' Trump told reporters on Sunday, without offering specifics. '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.'
Trump's border czar Tom Homan told NBC News that raids will continue daily in the region and hinted that Newsom or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass could be arrested if they 'cross that line' and impede immigration enforcement.
The National Guard deployment, paired with Newsom's legal shot across the bow, reflects rising tensions in the Trump-Newsom relationship after the two leaders seemingly entered a fragile détente when Trump visited Los Angeles in wake of the fires there earlier this year.
Newsom and other California Democrats have blasted the administration's response to the demonstrations, while also calling for protesters to avoid violence. The California governor's counterparts across the country cast Trump's unwanted intervention as a vote of no-confidence in local police agencies.
'Threatening to send the U.S. Marines into American neighborhoods undermines the mission of our service members, erodes public trust, and shows the Trump administration does not trust local law enforcement,' the Democratic governors wrote.
— Myah Ward and Gregory Svirnovskiy contributed to this report.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CBS News
3 minutes ago
- CBS News
Planned PBS, NPR cuts would overwhelmingly hit outlets in states Trump won, report finds
The looming federal funding cuts to public television and radio would overwhelmingly gut outlets in states won by President Trump in 2024, according to a new congressional report. Approximately 60% of the hundreds of radio and television stations that could suffer funding cuts are in Trump-won states, according to a congressional report obtained by CBS News from Senate Democrats. The organizations that would be affected include public media outlets in cities as large as Houston and Miami, as well as smaller stations in tiny communities like Douglas, Wyoming, which has a population of 6,000 and hosts the Wyoming State Fair. The widespread cuts to public radio and television are a component of a Republican congressional plan to eliminate $9 billion in funding for programs approved before President Trump's second term began. The proposed rescissions package, which is scheduled for a House vote Thursday, includes $1.1 billion in cuts for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which provides funding to NPR and PBS. The cuts to public broadcasting are being touted by the Trump administration and Republicans as an effort to slash taxpayer funding for news media outlets they accuse of being "liberal" or politically biased in their content. Advocates for public broadcasting have lambasted the cuts as destructive, needless and harmful to communities that have very limited sources of local broadcast news. They also deny allegations of political bias. The list of hundreds of TV and radio outlets facing funding cuts shows a broad range of impact. Major public television and radio stations in Charlotte, North Carolina, and Washington, D.C., could each lose nearly $1 million in grants in the coming months. An FM community public radio station in Carbondale, Colorado, which touts itself as "Public access radio that connects community members to one another and the world," received $145,000 in federal grant funding last year. At each of the public media outlets, the list shows reductions that are sizable enough to potentially require staffing cuts, programming reductions or news cutbacks that threaten to exacerbate shortages of local news content. CBS News' review of proposed grant cuts shows Alabama, a state with an estimated 215 public media employees, would lose as much as $3 million in funding for its public television outlets in the coming months. In South Dakota, a sparsely populated state that nonetheless receives $3 million in funds for public broadcasting employees, the funding cuts would gut money for at least 20 media outlets, according to the report provided by congressional aides to CBS News. "The path to better public media is achievable only if funding is maintained. Otherwise, a vital lifeline that operates reliable emergency communications, supports early learning, and keeps local communities connected and informed will be cut off with regrettable and lasting consequences," said Patricia Harrison, president and CEO of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. "Federal funding for the public broadcasting system is irreplaceable," Harrison said. "Public media serves all — families and individuals, in rural and urban communities — free of charge and commercial free." Both PBS and NPR have sued the Trump administration over previous executive orders cutting their funding, with lawyers for both alleging that among other issues, the cuts violate the First Amendment. PBS CEO Paula Kerger previously said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" that while PBS only receives 15% of its funding from the federal government, some of its smaller stations receive up to 50% of their funding from federal sources and said the risks to the smaller stations are "existential" if the funding is cut. NPR CEO Katherine Maher has said roughly 1% of the organization's budget comes directly from federal dollars. Some of the many impacted public radio and TV stations have posted messages protesting the proposed cuts in funding. The social media account of a Baltimore public radio station leader said, "This isn't hypothetical—it's real, it's happening, and it places the future of local, trusted public media at serious risk. Let me be clear: this is not a symbolic move. If approved, this action could irreparably damage the local public media." Rural communities, often referred to as "news deserts" because of the lack of local news organizations, would suffer the brunt of the pain. According to a joint statement by Rep. Mark Amodei, a Nevada Republican, and Rep. Dan Goldman, a New York Democrat, "Rural broadcasters face significant challenges in raising private funds, making them particularly vulnerable if government funding is cut." Sen. Patty Murray, a Washington Democrat who is the vice chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said in a statement to CBS News, "Trump wants Congress to vote to cut off public radio broadcasts our constituents count on for weather forecasts, emergency alerts, and updates on what's going on in their community—and force layoffs at local TV stations." House Speaker Mike Johnson, a Louisiana Republican, has championed the cuts and sought to rally support ahead of Thursday's vote on the rescissions package. "House Republicans will fulfill our mandate and continue codifying into law a more efficient federal government," Johnson said in a statement. "This is exactly what the American people deserve." In April, the White House released a statement saying taxpayers had funded NPR and PBS "for too long" and said they've "spread radical, woke propaganda disguised as 'news.'" The White House Office of Management and Budget did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
CNN
6 minutes ago
- CNN
Violence enters third day in Northern Ireland
Violence enters third day in Northern Ireland Unrest has spread to more towns in Northern Ireland after violence initially started in Ballymena. The third night of disturbances saw a leisure center, that had been recently used to shelter immigrants, set ablaze by masked youths. 00:45 - Source: CNN Vertical World News 16 videos Violence enters third day in Northern Ireland Unrest has spread to more towns in Northern Ireland after violence initially started in Ballymena. The third night of disturbances saw a leisure center, that had been recently used to shelter immigrants, set ablaze by masked youths. 00:45 - Source: CNN Analysis: Is Netanyahu's government under threat? Among an ongoing corruption trial, protests against his leadership and an upcoming vote to dissolve the government, CNN's Oren Liebermann looks at the growing pressure on Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 01:59 - Source: CNN Austrian mayor of city hit by school shooting speaks to CNN Austria is reeling from one of the worst rampages in the country's history after a gunman opened fire at a high school in the city of Graz, killing 10 people, including teenagers. Elke Kahr, mayor of Graz, spoke to CNN's Frederik Pleitgen during a candlelight vigil as the city reflects on the rare tragedy. 01:15 - Source: CNN BTS members discharged from South Korean military One of the world's biggest boybands could soon be making a comeback with six out of seven members of K-Pop supergroup BTS now discharged from South Korea's mandatory military service. The band plans to reunite at some point later this year. 00:47 - Source: CNN Mexican flags at LA protests spark heated debate Mexico's flag has become a defining symbol of the protests in Los Angeles, sparking a heated debate amongst the Latino community about whether or not it's disrespectful. CNN's Rafael Romo breaks down the debate and what the it means to be Mexican-American right now. 01:53 - Source: CNN Hear Mexico president's response to LA protests Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum said she does not agree with the violent immigration protests in Los Angeles and urged Mexicans in California to 'not fall into provocations.' The president emphasized that Mexicans in the US 'are good men and women.' 00:36 - Source: CNN Austria hit by rare school shooting A gunman in Austria opened fire on a school in the southern city of Graz, killing himself and at least nine others. The death toll includes teenagers between the ages of 14 and 18, the Austrian interior ministry said. CNN's Frederik Pleitgen reports. 01:05 - Source: CNN Ukrainian boxer to Trump: 'Open your eyes' World heavyweight boxing champion Oleksandr Usyk shared a message for President Trump in an interview with CNN, asking him to help Ukraine as it continues its fight against a full-scale Russian invasion. 00:54 - Source: CNN Israeli military intercepts Gaza-bound Freedom Flotilla Israel has intercepted a Gaza-bound aid ship carrying Greta Thunberg and other prominent activists, detaining those onboard, according to the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), with Israel's foreign ministry saying activists have been taken to Israel 01:23 - Source: CNN Why Trump is on billboards in Syria's capital city Billboards thanking President Trump have popped up across Damascus, Syria's capital city. CNN's Clarissa Ward meets the woman trying to 'Make Syria Great Again.' 01:18 - Source: CNN Colombian presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe shot in Bogota A Colombian senator and presidential hopeful is in a critical condition after being shot twice at an event in Bogota, according to national police and prosecutors. Police arrested a 15-year-old carrying a Glock pistol, according to the Attorney General's Office. Miguel Uribe expressed intentions to run in the 2026 presidential election for the country's largest opposition party, the center-right Centro Democrático, or Democratic Center. 01:05 - Source: CNN Why China doesn't need the US auto market If there is one thing to be learned from Auto Shanghai - China's largest automobile show - it's that China has dozens of car brands that can rival Western ones. BYD surpassed Tesla's profits, but other EVs like those made by Zeekr, Xiaomi and Chery are quickly joining the race. CNN's Marc Stewart took a rare test drive of Zeekr's new 7GT. 00:44 - Source: CNN Analysis: Trump is in a crisis of his own making Trump tells President Vladimir Putin to stop after Russia launched its deadliest wave of attacks on Kyiv in nine months. This comes days after Trump said the US would walk out on efforts to make a peace deal in Ukraine if it didn't see progress. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh breaks down the latest. 01:03 - Source: CNN Russia launches strikes across Ukraine Russia launched waves of drones and ballistic missiles at multiple targets across a broad swath of Ukraine overnight killing at least four people in the capital Kyiv and wounding around 40 across the country. 00:32 - Source: CNN German leader on 'terrible' impact of Trump's tariffs In an interview with CNN's Jake Tapper, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz talks about the impact President Trump's tariffs are having on the auto industry. 01:13 - Source: CNN Greta Thunberg sails to Gaza Greta Thunberg has set sail with eleven other activists to Gaza. The activist group they're part of, The Freedom Flotilla Coalition, is attempting to bring aid and raise international awareness over the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the territory. 00:59 - Source: CNN
Politico
7 minutes ago
- Politico
Americans think Trump's big military parade is not a good use of government funds, poll shows
A majority of Americans believe President Donald Trump's multimillion-dollar parade celebrating the Army in Washington on Saturday is not a good use of government funds, a new AP-NORC poll shows. Sixty percent of Americans surveyed in the June poll said they believe the parade is not a good use of funds, while 38 percent said they believe the parade is worth the cost. Forty percent of Americans approve of Trump's decision to hold the parade, compared with 31 percent who neither approve or disapprove and 29 percent who are against the decision to hold a parade. The parade this weekend, which also coincides with Trump's 79th birthday, is expected to feature 6,600 soldiers marching along with 25 M1 Abrams main battle tanks and dozens of other military vehicles. Several generations of military aircraft are planned to fly overhead, including a World War II-era B-25 bomber, Huey helicopters similar to those used in the Vietnam War, and a P-1 biplane fighter aircraft like the ones first used in the 1920s. Trump is also expected to give a speech. The cost of the parade is estimated to cost between $25 million and $45 million, according to Army officials. Some Republicans have raised concerns over the cost. Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), who chairs the Senate Armed Services Committee, told POLITICO last week he 'would have recommended against the parade' after learning of its estimated cost. In an NBC News interview in May, Trump said the amount spent on holding the parade would be 'peanuts compared to the value of doing it.' Most Republican lawmakers are planning to skip the parade, including Speaker Mike Johnson and several members who have previously served in the military. Only seven out of 50 congressional Republicans surveyed by POLITICO as of Tuesday said they were planning to attend. The poll also finds 60 percent of Americans disapprove of Trump's job performance, while 39 percent approve, marking Trump's highest disapproval rating in an AP-NORC poll since he returned to office in January. The AP-NORC poll was conducted June 5-9 and is based on interviews with 1,158 adults around the country. The poll has a margin of error of +/- 4.0 percentage points.
