‘Psychological terrorism': The war against reproductive rights in the US
As Donald Trump begins his second term as president, headlines focus on immigration, trade and free speech. But advocates warn of another front, a quieter campaign targeting reproductive rights and abortion.
Just years after the fall of Roe v Wade, critics say new policies signal a renewed push to erode reproductive freedom, especially for women of colour.
Is the Trump administration waging a quiet war on reproductive rights in the United States?
This week on UpFront, Redi Tlhabi speaks with Michele Goodwin, professor of constitutional law and global health policy at Georgetown University and author of Policing The Womb: Invisible Women and the Criminalization of Motherhood.
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Al Jazeera
40 minutes ago
- Al Jazeera
Did Trump thank National Guard even before troops reached Los Angeles?
On June 8, United States President Donald Trump praised the California National Guard for its response to Los Angeles immigration enforcement protests. 'Great job by the National Guard in Los Angeles after two days of violence, clashes and unrest,' he wrote on Truth Social at 02:41 EDT, Eastern Daylight Time, (06:41 GMT) on Tuesday. He ended the post, 'Thank you to the National Guard for a job well done!' But the National Guard had not yet arrived in Los Angeles, according to news reports and a spokesperson for the California governor. The protests in downtown Los Angeles began on June 6 in response to US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) declared the protests an 'unlawful assembly' the same evening and began using tear gas, rubber bullets and other deterrents. Protests continued throughout the weekend, with reports of vandalism, burning cars and looting. Trump announced on June 7 that he was deploying 2,000 California National Guard members, an action that Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom, both Democrats, criticised as an unnecessary escalation. Less than an hour after Trump's Truth Social post, Bass said the National Guard was not on scene. 'Just to be clear, the National Guard has not been deployed in the City of Los Angeles,' she wrote on X. Later that morning, Newsom criticised Trump's post praising the National Guard by pointing out the timeline discrepancy. 'For those keeping track, Donald Trump's National Guard had not been deployed on the ground when he posted this,' Newsom wrote on X. Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a Newsom spokesperson, told PolitiFact the National Guard deployed on June 8 between 02:00 PDT, Pacific Daylight Time, and 04:00 PDT, which is 05:00 EDT to 07:00 EDT (09:00 GMT to 11:00 GMT). The first media reports of California National Guard troops on the ground in Los Angeles were on June 8 at about 06:00 PDT, or about 09:00 EDT (13:00 GMT). Here's what we know about the timeline of California National Guard troop activation and arrival. 00:51 EDT (04:51 GMT): United States Northern Command, a Department of Defense sector that assists with National Guard oversight, said on X that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 'directed US Northern Command to assume command of 2,000 California National Guard forces to protect federal personnel and federal property in the greater Los Angeles area'. The post said active-duty US Marines might also be called to respond. 02:41 EDT (06:41 GMT): Trump praised the National Guard for a 'great job', criticised Newsom and Bass, and described the protests as violent unrest. 03:22 EDT (07:22 GMT): Bass posted on X that the National Guard was not yet present. 04:32 EDT (08:32 GMT): CNN reported it had 'seen no evidence that Guard units are on the ground'. Between 05:00 EDT and 07:00 EDT (09:00 GMT-11:00 GMT): The National Guard deployed during this timeframe, according to Crofts-Pelayo. About 09:00 EDT (13:00 GMT): The Washington Post reported that the earliest photos and videos of National Guard members arriving in Los Angeles were captured around this time, which was 06:00 PDT, or 09:00 EDT (13:00 GMT). 11:03 EDT (15:03 GMT): US Northern Command reported that members of the California National Guard had arrived in Los Angeles: 'Can confirm that elements of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the California National Guard have begun deploying to the Los Angeles area, with some already on the ground.' 12:07 EDT (16:07 GMT): US Northern Command announced that 300 members of the California National Guard were deployed to three locations in the Los Angeles area. 12:08 EDT (16:08 GMT): The California National Guard members gathered near the Metropolitan Detention Centre in downtown LA, the Los Angeles Times reported. 12:17 EDT (16:17 GMT): The LAPD announced that the National Guard had been deployed to federal facilities. About 13:30 EDT (17:30 GMT): The New York Times reported that at 10:30 PDT, 'nearly 300 members of the California Guard took positions at three different sites around the city'. KABC-TV, a local news channel, reported that National Guard members had appeared in downtown Los Angeles and posted video of troops driving through the city of Paramount. 12:29 EDT (18:29 GMT): US Northern Command posted photos of California National Guard members in LA, working with the Department of Homeland Security. 17:06 EDT (21:06 GMT): Trump said he directed federal agencies to coordinate their response to the Los Angeles protests. 18:27 EDT (22:27 GMT): Newsom posted that he 'formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County and return them to [his] command'. 20:03 EDT (00:03 GMT): US Northern Command shared a press release on X announcing that approximately 2,000 members of the California National Guard had been 'placed under federal command' to be ready to assist in efforts against LA protests. It reiterated that 300 members of the California Army National Guard were deployed at three locations. 22:23 EDT (02:23 GMT): Newsom said in an MSNBC interview that he would file a lawsuit against Trump for taking over the California National Guard. PolitiFact researcher Caryn Baird contributed to this report.
Al Jazeera
2 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Why is the LAPD opposing Trump's Marine deployment in Los Angeles?
United States President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of Marines in Los Angeles to quell protests that have erupted against the arrests of 44 people on Friday for violating immigration laws. Trump on Monday also doubled the strength of National Guard forces that his administration has deployed in the country's second largest city to 4,000 soldiers. His administration has justified the deployments by arguing, in part, that local authorities were failing to ensure the safety of law enforcement officials and federal property. But the deployment of the Marines – coming on the back of the move to send the National Guard to Los Angeles – has sparked criticism, not just from Trump's political opponents like California Governor Gavin Newsom but also from the Los Angeles police. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has said the deployment of Marines will make its job harder. Here's what the dispute is about, and why the LAPD argues that the deployment of military forces could complicate its work: The Marines are a branch of the US armed forces and are a component of the Navy. The Marine Corps was first established in 1775. Its soldiers are trained for land and sea operations and have a particular focus on amphibious warfare, which refers to attacks launched from ships onto shore. US citizens or legal residents who have a high school diploma and are aged 17 to 28 are eligible to enlist for the Marines. They have to undergo an initial strength test to be recruited. Recruits undergo about 13 weeks of initial training to become a part of the Marine Corps. Once a year, each Marine undergoes a battle-readiness test with a focus on physical readiness and stamina. There are 172,577 active duty Marine personnel in the US as well as 33,036 reserve personnel as of 2023, the latest data released by the US Department of Defense. The US military's Northern Command released a statement on Monday saying it had activated a Marine infantry battalion in Los Angeles that was on alert over the weekend. About 700 Marines with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines and 1st Marine Division will 'seamlessly integrate' with National Guard troops deployed in the city, it said. Initially, the LAPD was involved in quelling civil unrest due to the protests, starting on Friday. On Saturday, Trump deployed about 2,000 National Guard soldiers to Los Angeles County, defying objections by Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. After the Marine deployment announcement, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said an 'additional' 2,000 National Guard soldiers would also be mobilised in addition to the 2,000 who had been sent to the city over the weekend. On Monday, Police Chief Jim McDonnell released a statement saying the LAPD had not received a formal notification that the Marines would be coming to LA. '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 this city,' he said. McDonnell added that the LAPD and its partners 'have decades of experience managing large-scale public demonstrations, and we remain confident in our ability to do so professionally and effectively'. The LAPD boss urged open and continuous communication between all law enforcement agencies involved to avoid confusion and escalation. History indicates that a lack of communication, coupled with differences in approach based on different agencies' training, can inflame already tense situations that law enforcement officials confront. While the US routinely sends its Marines on overseas missions, it is rare for the US president to deploy Marines to quell a domestic crisis. The last time this happened was in 1992 in Los Angeles during protests against the acquittal of four policemen who had been filmed beating Rodney King, a Black man. Six days of riots broke out, and 2,000 National Guard soldiers and 1,500 Marines were deployed in the city. The riots in 1992 resulted in the deaths of 63 people and widespread looting, assaults and arson, unlike the ongoing protests, which have been largely peaceful. On one occasion in 1992, LAPD officers and Marines were called to respond to a domestic disturbance at a local home. When they arrived, a shotgun was fired out the front door. A police officer yelled, 'Cover me,' which to the police means to prepare to shoot if necessary but to hold one's fire. For Marines trained for combat, 'cover me' means to use firepower. The Marines shot more than 200 bullets instantly as a response to the officer. Three children were inside the home at the time. While no one was killed, federal soldiers were withdrawn from Los Angeles shortly after this. While the deployment of US Marines to Los Angeles in 1992 was carried out in coordination with state and local authorities, they are now being sent against the wishes of the state government, Bass and the LAPD. That compounds the risks that could follow, experts said. 'If the administration escalates to active duty troops, especially without coordination with state leaders, it would amount to a militarization of civilian protest, not a restoration of order,' attorney Robert Patillo said in a written statement to Al Jazeera. 'That move could violate the First Amendment rights of peaceful protesters and would likely inflame tensions on the ground, not resolve them.' The First Amendment of the US Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech and assembly. Reports from LA suggest that the National Guard troops who have been activated are barely being used in the city, raising questions about whether the deployment of Marines or additional National Guard soldiers is really necessary. Al Jazeera's Rob Reynolds, reporting from LA, said Monday's protests organised by unions in the city centre were peaceful. '[The National Guard] didn't engage with the protesters. They didn't do much of anything other than stand there in their military uniforms,' Reynolds said. On his personal X account, Newsom posted that the initial 2,000 National Guard soldiers were not given food or water. Of them, only 300 were deployed while the rest were sitting in federal buildings without orders, he said. Al Jazeera could not independently verify another post, Newsom wrote that 'the Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying [the Marines] onto American streets.'On Monday, Newsom announced that he had filed a lawsuit against Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth 'to end the illegal takeover' of the National Guard. Trump's federalisation of the National Guard on Saturday marked the first time in 60 years that a US president has activated the guard in defiance of a state governor's wishes. 'For Trump to deploy regular armed forces, such as the marines, would require him to clear another legal hurdle. He would have to invoke the Insurrection Act, which is very rare and would escalate the situation to a constitutional crisis,' Gregory Magarian, professor of law at Washington University's School of Law in St Louis, Missouri, told Al Jazeera in an emailed statement. So far, it is unclear whether Trump invoked the Insurrection Act to deploy the Marines. To activate the National Guard, he did not invoke the Insurrection Act but a similar federal law, Title 10 of the United States Code. 'While the Insurrection Act technically gives the president the authority to deploy active-duty military forces under extreme conditions, we are nowhere near the legal threshold that would justify sending in the marines,' Patillo said. Hegseth wrote in an X post that Marines had been deployed 'due to increased threats to federal law enforcement officers and federal buildings'. 'We have an obligation to defend federal law enforcement officers – even if Gavin Newsom will not,' Hegseth wrote. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in an X post on Monday that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, who have been leading the immigration arrests, will 'continue to enforce the law' despite the protests. Over the weekend, the LAPD arrested 50 protesters: 29 on Saturday and 21 on Sunday. Local news outlets have reported protests against the arrests have also begun in at least nine other US cities, including New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Al Jazeera
4 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Photos: Trump sends Marines and more National Guard members to Los Angeles
An additional 2,000 National Guard soldiers, along with 700 Marines, have headed to Los Angeles on orders from United States President Donald Trump, escalating a military presence local officials and California Governor Gavin Newsom do not want, and which the city's police chief says creates logistical challenges for safely handling protests. An initial deployment of 2,000 National Guard personnel ordered by Trump started arriving on Sunday, as violence erupted during protests driven by an accelerated enforcement of immigration laws that critics say are breaking apart families. Monday's demonstrations were less raucous. Thousands peacefully attended a rally at City Hall, hundreds protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention centre where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids across the city. Los Angeles Police Department chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement he was confident in LAPD's ability to handle large-scale demonstrations, and that the Marines' arrival without coordinating with police would present a 'significant logistical and operational challenge' for them. Newsom called the deployments reckless and 'disrespectful to our troops' in a post on the social media platform X. 'This isn't about public safety. It's about stroking a dangerous President's ego.' The protests began on Friday in downtown Los Angeles after federal immigration authorities arrested more than 40 people across the city. In a directive on Saturday, 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 US government. The smell of smoke hung in the air on Monday, one day after crowds blocked a major motorway and set self-driving cars on fire, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flashbangs. Additional protests against immigration raids continued into the evening on Monday in several other cities, including San Francisco and Santa Ana in California and Dallas and Austin in Texas. Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a post on X that more than a dozen protesters were arrested, while in Santa Ana, a police spokesperson said the National Guard had arrived in the city to secure federal buildings. California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit over the use of National Guard troops following the first deployment, telling reporters in his announcement on Monday that Trump had 'trampled' the state's sovereignty. Trump said Los Angeles would have been 'completely obliterated' if he had not deployed the National Guard. US officials said the Marines were being deployed to protect federal property and personnel, including immigration agents. Several dozen protesters were arrested over the weekend. Authorities say one person was arrested for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police and another for ramming a motorbike into a line of officers. 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.
