California lawmaker pans Trump's push to federalize National Guard in California
California Rep. Nanette Barragán slammed President Donald Trump on Sunday for his move to send 2,000 National Guard troops to quell protests over immigration in her Los Angeles House district.
"There is no need for the National Guard," Barragán told CNN's Dana Bash on "State of the Union." "They have the manpower that they need. So this is really just an escalation of the president coming into California. We haven't asked for the help. We don't need the help. This is him escalating it, causing tensions to rise. It's only gonna make things worse in a situation where people are already angry over immigration enforcement."
Protests over the Trump administration's brash deportation agenda and regional immigration raids erupted over the weekend, culminating in a confrontation between demonstrators and federal agents in the city of Paramount, California, less than 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles. Authorities used tear gas and flash-bang grenades to break up the protesters.
Trump's move to federalize the California National Guard on Saturday came despite forceful opposition from Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, his longtime rival.
"The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles — not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle," Newsom wrote on X.
Early on Sunday morning, a social media post from Trump congratulating the National Guard for calming the unrest was contradicted by Bass, who clarified that the troops had not yet been deployed to Los Angeles.
Barragán, who represents Paramount in Congress, agreed that Trump's call to the National Guard wouldn't make the city safer.
"People were there to protest, they're there to protest the mass deportations that are happening," she told Bash. "And so it was peaceful. And of course, you escalate the situation. Now you're talking about bringing in the National Guard to militarize the situation. It's going to get worse. It's unnecessary."
The threat of escalation is likely to persist.
"We've been told to get ready for 30 days of enforcement, 30 days of ICE enforcement," Barragán said. "So, 2,000 troops to be there for that enforcement. It's a concern."
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