Trump's border czar defends decision to deploy hundreds of Marines to quell LA protests
By
Donald Judd
, CNN
White House border czar Tom Homan.
Photo:
AFP/ANDREW HARNIK
President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan argued on Monday that it was necessary to deploy hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles to quell immigration protests that are happening in the city - despite local officials saying it's unclear why they are there or what they are doing.
"Yes, it all depends on the activities of these protesters - I mean, they make the decisions. I keep hearing reports that they're rioting because President Trump sent National Guard here, it's just ridiculous," Homan told CNN's Kaitlan Collins.
"We don't know what's going to happen tonight - it seems like at night, the crowds get bigger, the violence peaks. So, we want to be ahead of the game. We'll be well prepared for the military here to protect government property and protect officers' lives," he said.
Homan declined to say what standard the Trump administration was using to decide if
mobilising the Marines
would be necessary.
"They're not reinforcing immigration law - we're doing that, we're immigration officers," Homan said.
"Their job is protection of property and protection of our agents and their lives and their wellbeing, along with the public's wellbeing."
Over the weekend, Trump became the first president in decades to call in the National Guard without a request from a governor - doing so without invoking the Insurrection Act, the 1807 law that allows the president to deploy American soldiers to police US streets in extreme circumstances.
Trump ordered the Department of Defence to deploy an additional 2,000 California National Guard members to the Los Angeles area on Monday evening, according to the Pentagon.
Protesters kneel in the street facing a row of police in riot gear during a protest in response to federal immigration operations in the Little Tokyo neighbourhood of downtown Los Angeles, on June 9, 2025.
Photo:
AFP/FREDERIC J. BROWN
On Monday, the administration mobilised more than 700 Marines based out of the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Centre in California to respond to the protests in Los Angeles.
Homan said there were conversations "every day" within the administration about deploying military domestically, but he said he had not been personally involved in conversations about invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow for the use active-duty military to quell protests.
"No - again, I'm here running a Title 8 immigration operation, I was - I'm not involved in discussions, but I do know every day a conversation happens with the leadership of DOJ, DHS and DOD on a decision going forward," he said.
"I think decisions on deployment of the National Guard and any other deployment of DOD is a decision being made by the White House, along with the Department of Justice, DOD - I know those calls are happening every day."
But pressed if Americans should expect to see military deployed to other US cities where protests against ICE operations pop up, the border czar said, "I hope not."
"I hope it's not the new normal - I hope people go out there and protest peacefully, but to attack law enforcement officers who are simply enforcing the laws that Congress enacted," he said.
"So, if you want to hate, you want to protest, go to Congress and protest them. ICE is just doing their job."
Homan also acknowledged that Democratic California governor Gavin Newsom has not done anything to warrant arrest after Trump said if he were Homan, he would have him arrested.
"Governor Newsom has not done anything to warrant an arrest in your view right now, correct?" Collins asked.
"Not at this time - absolutely not," he said.
Homan told CNN that Immigration and Customs Enforcement would continue operations in Los Angeles - and across the country - to enforce immigration law.
"They'll continue every day, not only in California, Los Angeles, they're gonna continue every city across the country - we have teams throughout the country that are out there looking for those in the country," Homan said.
"We're in every city and country, and ICE is going to be out every single day and will continue to be there regardless what's happening in LA."
- CNN
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
33 minutes ago
- Scoop
‘Devil Will Be In Detail': Luxon Reacts To Possible USA-China Trade Deal
Article – RNZ But the prime minister says it can only be a good thing as the global trading environment seeks more certainty. Morning Report Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says a possible USA-China trade deal is positive news, but time will tell what it means for New Zealand and the rest of the world. US President Donald Trump said a deal with China is 'done' after two days of high-level talks in London. Luxon welcomed the news but wanted to see the finer details. 'What we want to see is more certainty in the global trading environment, and I've read the reports as well,' he said. 'The devil will be in the detail, but that can only be a good thing.' Luxon said he expected to discuss the matter with China President Xi Jinping on his next trip the global giant. 'I'm sure that will be a topic of conversation about how we see the global trading environment and how we're observing in the region, but also around the world,' he said. Despite the trade uncertainty, Luxon said New Zealand exporters to the US had been making good progress. 'They'll still finding really great opportunities to grow their businesses, they're doing a great job of targeting the right channels and customers,' he said. 'But yes, of course that will be a big top of conversation when I do catch up with both President Xi and Premier Li (Qiang) in due course.' Agriculture Minister Todd McClay also welcomed the news of a possible US-China trade deal. The overnight announcement comes as the government welcomes the state of the country's agriculture sector. The Ministry of Primary Industries' Situation and Outlook report is projecting a double digit increase in New Zealand export revenues this year – though it warns about global uncertainty. It estimates New Zealand's agricultural export revenue could reach just under $60 billion by the end of June, up from a dip in 2023-4. McClay told Morning Report if a US-China deal has been done it would be 'good news'. At an OECD trade ministers meeting in Paris last week he had met with the trade ministers of both China and the US. Both had then gone off for joint talks so some momentum had been building to try and find a solution to their tariffs impasse. If things calmed down for international trade it would bring 'welcome relief' for exporters and result in some 'sensible decision-making'. Exporters 'go for value' McClay said the remarkable growth in primary exports was very positive. Dairy had enjoyed a solid season with a good supply of grass which had increased milk production. The meat sector was performing well and for the first time $5 billion worth of kiwifruit had been exported. Even the US market faced with tariff uncertainty was providing some opportunities for Kiwi exporters, citing the example of NZ King Salmon which has talked of increased sales at a higher price. Kiwi exporters were working hard to add value to their products, McClay said. One example was selling ready to eat burger patties to China which resulted in greater returns for farmers. 'So we're seeing Kiwi exporters go for value, not competing on price anywhere as much as they used to.' Luxon said the government, particularly McClay and Finance Minister Nicola Willis could take a 'tremendous credit' for the growth. 'We've created the conditions for growth; it's ultimately up to the businesses themselves to go out and seize on those opportunities,' he said. 'But if I think about the work that Todd's undertaken to make sure we're opening new markets, whether it's the GCC, the UAE, a 21 percent growth in the UK just in the last 12 months, a 28 percent in the EU by virtue of Todd bringing that agreement into earlier acceptance. 'There's been tremendous progress made on the trade front, and I think Nicola's work to make sure that she's cleaning up the books, good financial management, good fiscal management to lower inflation, to lower interest rates to get the economy growing, to get people employed – that's the work we've been doing as a government.' Luxon reiterated the government's belief in the importance of growth and said it was the primary industry sector pulling New Zealand out of a recession. 'We've got a really exciting future to shape it despite all the volatility that's out there in the world. 'Really proud of the primary industry sector, but also proud of the work of both Nicola and Todd and all of our team to create the conditions for growth as well.' On building in sustainability A government-backed grass certification standard for dairy and meat exports had been launched at Mystery Creek Fieldays yesterday, McClay said. This would be highly desirable for markets in China, other parts of Asia and the Middle East, McClay said. 'Grass fed now is increasingly wanted by consumers and they're willing to pay more.' On sustainable products, Groundswell has been calling for New Zealand to exit the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. McClay said that was not going to happen mainly because it would make exports to many markets untenable. He believed Groundswell and others were worried about higher costs and lower production if they adopted sustainable measures. 'We've been really clear – we think through technology and other things we can meet these obligations without putting farmers out of business.' Alternatives to farmers going into the Emissions Trading Scheme were being worked on and would be announced soon. McClay said the requirement of reducing methane by 10 percent by 2030 was on track to be met. 'So it shows farmers are willing to do it but we have to lean heavily into technology rather than just planting trees.' A number of products, known as methane inhibitors, have been developed already although they might have to overcome consumer resistance. McClay said anything developed would have to go through rigorous scientific testing. There would be a range of solutions developed and farmers would decide which ones they wanted to pick up. 'The overseas customers through the dairy company should be paying for this, not the New Zealand farmer.'
1News
2 hours ago
- 1News
'Devil will be in detail': Luxon on possible USA-China trade deal
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says a possible USA-China trade deal is positive news, but time will tell what it means for New Zealand and the rest of the world. US President Donald Trump said a deal with China is "done" after two days of high-level talks in London. Luxon welcomed the news but wanted to see the finer details. "What we want to see is more certainty in the global trading environment, and I've read the reports as well," he said. "The devil will be in the detail, but that can only be a good thing." ADVERTISEMENT Luxon said he expected to discuss the matter with China President Xi Jinping on his next trip the global giant. "I'm sure that will be a topic of conversation about how we see the global trading environment and how we're observing in the region, but also around the world," he said. Despite the trade uncertainty, Luxon said New Zealand exporters to the US had been making good progress. "They're still finding really great opportunities to grow their businesses, they're doing a great job of targeting the right channels and customers," he said. "But yes, of course that will be a big top of conversation when I do catch up with both President Xi and Premier Li (Qiang) in due course." Agriculture Minister Todd McClay also welcomed the news of a possible US-China trade deal. Trade Minister Todd McClay. (Source: ADVERTISEMENT The overnight announcement comes as the government welcomes the state of the country's agriculture sector. The Ministry of Primary Industries' Situation and Outlook report is projecting a double digit increase in New Zealand export revenues this year - though it warns about global uncertainty. It estimates New Zealand's agricultural export revenue could reach just under $60 billion by the end of June, up from a dip in 2023-4. McClay told Morning Report if a US-China deal has been done it would be "good news". At an OECD trade ministers meeting in Paris last week he had met with the trade ministers of both China and the US. Both had then gone off for joint talks so some momentum had been building to try and find a solution to their tariffs impasse. If things calmed down for international trade it would bring "welcome relief" for exporters and result in some "sensible decision-making". ADVERTISEMENT Exporters 'go for value' McClay said the remarkable growth in primary exports was very positive. Dairy had enjoyed a solid season with a good supply of grass which had increased milk production. The meat sector was performing well and for the first time $5 billion worth of kiwifruit had been exported. Even the US market faced with tariff uncertainty was providing some opportunities for Kiwi exporters, citing the example of NZ King Salmon which has talked of increased sales at a higher price. Kiwi exporters were working hard to add value to their products, McClay said. One example was selling ready to eat burger patties to China which resulted in greater returns for farmers. "So we're seeing Kiwi exporters go for value, not competing on price anywhere as much as they used to." ADVERTISEMENT Luxon said the government, particularly McClay and Finance Minister Nicola Willis could take a "tremendous credit" for the growth. "We've created the conditions for growth; it's ultimately up to the businesses themselves to go out and seize on those opportunities," he said. "But if I think about the work that Todd's undertaken to make sure we're opening new markets, whether it's the GCC, the UAE, a 21% growth in the UK just in the last 12 months, a 28 percent in the EU by virtue of Todd bringing that agreement into earlier acceptance. "There's been tremendous progress made on the trade front, and I think Nicola's work to make sure that she's cleaning up the books, good financial management, good fiscal management to lower inflation, to lower interest rates to get the economy growing, to get people employed - that's the work we've been doing as a government." Luxon reiterated the government's belief in the importance of growth and said it was the primary industry sector pulling New Zealand out of a recession. "We've got a really exciting future to shape it despite all the volatility that's out there in the world. "Really proud of the primary industry sector, but also proud of the work of both Nicola and Todd and all of our team to create the conditions for growth as well." ADVERTISEMENT On building in sustainability A government-backed grass certification standard for dairy and meat exports had been launched at Mystery Creek Fieldays yesterday, McClay said. This would be highly desirable for markets in China, other parts of Asia and the Middle East, McClay said. "Grass fed now is increasingly wanted by consumers and they're willing to pay more." On sustainable products, Groundswell has been calling for New Zealand to exit the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. McClay said that was not going to happen mainly because it would make exports to many markets untenable. He believed Groundswell and others were worried about higher costs and lower production if they adopted sustainable measures. ADVERTISEMENT "We've been really clear - we think through technology and other things we can meet these obligations without putting farmers out of business." Alternatives to farmers going into the Emissions Trading Scheme were being worked on and would be announced soon. McClay said the requirement of reducing methane by 10% by 2030 was on track to be met. "So it shows farmers are willing to do it but we have to lean heavily into technology rather than just planting trees." A number of products, known as methane inhibitors, have been developed already although they might have to overcome consumer resistance. McClay said anything developed would have to go through rigorous scientific testing. There would be a range of solutions developed and farmers would decide which ones they wanted to pick up. "The overseas customers through the dairy company should be paying for this, not the New Zealand farmer."
Scoop
5 hours ago
- Scoop
‘Devil Will Be In Detail': Luxon Reacts To Possible USA-China Trade Deal
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon says a possible USA-China trade deal is positive news, but time will tell what it means for New Zealand and the rest of the world. US President Donald Trump said a deal with China is "done" after two days of high-level talks in London. Luxon welcomed the news but wanted to see the finer details. "What we want to see is more certainty in the global trading environment, and I've read the reports as well," he said. "The devil will be in the detail, but that can only be a good thing." Luxon said he expected to discuss the matter with China President Xi Jinping on his next trip the global giant. "I'm sure that will be a topic of conversation about how we see the global trading environment and how we're observing in the region, but also around the world," he said. Despite the trade uncertainty, Luxon said New Zealand exporters to the US had been making good progress. "They'll still finding really great opportunities to grow their businesses, they're doing a great job of targeting the right channels and customers," he said. "But yes, of course that will be a big top of conversation when I do catch up with both President Xi and Premier Li (Qiang) in due course." Agriculture Minister Todd McClay also welcomed the news of a possible US-China trade deal. The overnight announcement comes as the government welcomes the state of the country's agriculture sector. The Ministry of Primary Industries' Situation and Outlook report is projecting a double digit increase in New Zealand export revenues this year - though it warns about global uncertainty. It estimates New Zealand's agricultural export revenue could reach just under $60 billion by the end of June, up from a dip in 2023-4. McClay told Morning Report if a US-China deal has been done it would be "good news". At an OECD trade ministers meeting in Paris last week he had met with the trade ministers of both China and the US. Both had then gone off for joint talks so some momentum had been building to try and find a solution to their tariffs impasse. If things calmed down for international trade it would bring "welcome relief" for exporters and result in some "sensible decision-making". Exporters 'go for value' McClay said the remarkable growth in primary exports was very positive. Dairy had enjoyed a solid season with a good supply of grass which had increased milk production. The meat sector was performing well and for the first time $5 billion worth of kiwifruit had been exported. Even the US market faced with tariff uncertainty was providing some opportunities for Kiwi exporters, citing the example of NZ King Salmon which has talked of increased sales at a higher price. Kiwi exporters were working hard to add value to their products, McClay said. One example was selling ready to eat burger patties to China which resulted in greater returns for farmers. "So we're seeing Kiwi exporters go for value, not competing on price anywhere as much as they used to." Luxon said the government, particularly McClay and Finance Minister Nicola Willis could take a "tremendous credit" for the growth. "We've created the conditions for growth; it's ultimately up to the businesses themselves to go out and seize on those opportunities," he said. "But if I think about the work that Todd's undertaken to make sure we're opening new markets, whether it's the GCC, the UAE, a 21 percent growth in the UK just in the last 12 months, a 28 percent in the EU by virtue of Todd bringing that agreement into earlier acceptance. "There's been tremendous progress made on the trade front, and I think Nicola's work to make sure that she's cleaning up the books, good financial management, good fiscal management to lower inflation, to lower interest rates to get the economy growing, to get people employed - that's the work we've been doing as a government." Luxon reiterated the government's belief in the importance of growth and said it was the primary industry sector pulling New Zealand out of a recession. "We've got a really exciting future to shape it despite all the volatility that's out there in the world. "Really proud of the primary industry sector, but also proud of the work of both Nicola and Todd and all of our team to create the conditions for growth as well." On building in sustainability A government-backed grass certification standard for dairy and meat exports had been launched at Mystery Creek Fieldays yesterday, McClay said. This would be highly desirable for markets in China, other parts of Asia and the Middle East, McClay said. "Grass fed now is increasingly wanted by consumers and they're willing to pay more." On sustainable products, Groundswell has been calling for New Zealand to exit the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. McClay said that was not going to happen mainly because it would make exports to many markets untenable. He believed Groundswell and others were worried about higher costs and lower production if they adopted sustainable measures. "We've been really clear - we think through technology and other things we can meet these obligations without putting farmers out of business." Alternatives to farmers going into the Emissions Trading Scheme were being worked on and would be announced soon. McClay said the requirement of reducing methane by 10 percent by 2030 was on track to be met. "So it shows farmers are willing to do it but we have to lean heavily into technology rather than just planting trees." A number of products, known as methane inhibitors, have been developed already although they might have to overcome consumer resistance. McClay said anything developed would have to go through rigorous scientific testing. There would be a range of solutions developed and farmers would decide which ones they wanted to pick up. "The overseas customers through the dairy company should be paying for this, not the New Zealand farmer."
