Newsom formally requests Trump administration rescind ‘unlawful’ deployment of national guard
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, said he has made a formal request to the Trump administration to rescind its “unlawful” deployment of national guard troops in LA and return them to his command, calling the deployment “a serious breach of state sovereignty”.
“We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” Newsom said in a post on X. “This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California.”
I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command.
We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while… pic.twitter.com/tOtA5dcfxc
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 8, 2025
Earlier, in a joint statement by Democratic governors condemning Trump’s deployment of the California national guard as an “alarming abuse of power”, Newsom and the other governors wrote: “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.”
Key events
The Los Angeles police department said the agency has declared an “unlawful assembly” in the civic center area of downtown Los Angeles, and that officers have arrested “a number” of people.
The development comes as the California Highway Patrol is attempting to remove people from the nearby 101 freeway, where protesters have brought traffic in both directions of the highway to a standstill. Meanwhile, Los Angeles police are now patrolling areas of the downtown on horseback, as some people appear to have set fire to an autonomous vehicle.
While speaking just minutes ago, the Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass urged protesters to remain peaceful and said that people should not be on the freeway or throw objects at police.
“The most important thing right now is that our city be peaceful,” Bass said. “Protest is appropriate to do, but it is just not appropriate for there to be violence.”
Bass has condemned the decision to deploy the national guard and said she joins the governor in asking the administration to rescind the order.
Karen Bass: ‘We do not need to see our city torn apart’
The Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass has said the deployment of the national guard is “the last thing Los Angeles needs”, and said she has received little information about how long troops will remain the city.
Bass, who is speaking at a press conference now, said she had discouraged the administration from bringing in the national guard. “I was hoping to prevent this situation from happening,” Bass said. “Our city is still trying to recover from the wildfires.”
“We do not need to see our city torn apart,” she said, adding that people are “terrified.”
Bass added that protests must remain peaceful. “I call on all angelenos to continue expressing your right, your anger, your outrage, but to do it peacefully.”
Trump doesn’t rule out sending marines to California
As protests over immigration enforcement operations continue in Los Angeles, Donald Trump did not rule out sending active-duty marines to California, confirming his secretary of defense’s earlier suggestion.
Asked what the bar is to send marines, Trump said the bar is “what I think it is”.
The bar is what I think it is. If we see danger to our country and to our citizens, and we’ll be very, very strong in terms of law and order.
Earlier Pete Hegseth, Trump’s controversial and hardline defense secretary, raised the possibility of deploying US marines onto the streets of California following the protests that erupted in the wake of raids from Ice authorities in the state.
“Under President Trump, violence & destruction against federal agents & federal facilities will NOT be tolerated. It’s COMMON SENSE,” Hegseth wrote on social media.
“If violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized – they are on high alert,” Hegseth said. Camp Pendleton is a large military base south of Los Angeles and north of San Diego.
In response, California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, called the potential deployment of US marines “deranged” .
“The Secretary of Defense is now threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens. This is deranged behavior,” Newsom wrote on X.
Kamala Harris condemns Trump’s ‘dangerous escalation’
Kamala Harris, who resides in Los Angeles, has released a statement on the chaos unfolding in the city after Donald Trump took the stunning step of deploying the national guard against the wishes of the state’s governor.
“Deploying the national guard is a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos,” the Democratic presidential nominee said. “In addition to the recent Ice raids in southern California and across our nation, it is part of the Trump administration’s cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division.”
As law enforcement and national guard troops deployed by Donald Trump clashed with protesters in Los Angeles on Sunday, Gavin Newsom, the California governor, compared the president’s actions to those of a dictator.
– Inciting and provoking violence
– Creating mass chaos
– Militarizing cities
– Arresting opponentsThese are the acts of a dictator, not a President. https://t.co/e4YjBMPtna
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 8, 2025
Here are some pictures coming out of LA.
This is from ABC News:
Protesters block 101 freeway, says LAPD
Protesters have temporarily blocked traffic on the 101 freeway this afternoon, LAPD central division has said, with all traffic on both lanes stopped.
⚠️Traffic Advisory⚠️ Demonstrators have walked onto the 101 freeway blocking SB lanes of traffic. All traffic both NB and SB lanes have been stopped.
— LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) June 8, 2025
NBC News reports that protesters using an on-ramp from the area of the Edward R Roybal Federal Building temporarily blocked traffic on the 101 Freeway.
They streamed down an on-ramp into the southbound lanes as police tried to control the situation.
Protesters surrounded officers arriving in SUVs as crowds also massed at three major intersections in the area. The sound of less-lethal rounds being fired at protesters echoed off the high-rises and enveloped the scene near the federal complex.
Protesters continued to gather in downtown Los Angeles today despite the police declaration of an unlawful assembly and authorization to arrest anyone who throws items at officers.
‘Send the national guard home,’ says California representative, adding Trump using ‘theater’ to distract from his ‘failed policies’
Donald Trump wanted to create civil unrest by calling in the national guard to Los Angeles, representative Nanette Barragán has told CNN.
Telling CNN there is no need for national guard troops, and the Los Angeles police department “has it under control”, Barragán, a Democrat, urged protesters to keep it peaceful.
This is the president’s way to create some theater. It’s very dangerous, it creates mistrust and it’s a misuse of the National Guard.
She added that sending in troops is Trump’s way to distract the country from his “failed policies”.
“This is a president who didn’t even send in the national guard on January 6 … so this president really has no credibility when it comes to law and order,” she said.
“We just need to end these mass deportations, these raids that are happening in Los Angeles,” she said. “Send the national guard home.”
Los Angeles police are shooting less-lethal rounds into crowds of protesters in downtown LA, NBC News reports.
Newsom formally requests Trump administration rescind ‘unlawful’ deployment of national guard
California’s governor, Gavin Newsom, said he has made a formal request to the Trump administration to rescind its “unlawful” deployment of national guard troops in LA and return them to his command, calling the deployment “a serious breach of state sovereignty”.
“We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” Newsom said in a post on X. “This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California.”
I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command.
We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while… pic.twitter.com/tOtA5dcfxc
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 8, 2025
Earlier, in a joint statement by Democratic governors condemning Trump’s deployment of the California national guard as an “alarming abuse of power”, Newsom and the other governors wrote: “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 Los Angeles Times reports that LAPD has been forcing protesters back away from the Metropolitan detention center.
The push and pull continues … it’s now LAPD, not DHS or the Guard, forcing people back down Alameda away from MDC. A lot of people are running onto the adjacent metro line to get away from less lethal launcher weapons. Very dangerous situation.
— James Queally (@JamesQueallyLAT) June 8, 2025
Officers have been seen pushing and striking protesters with batons this afternoon, according to a CNN field crew. They report that loud bangs rung out as officers deployed flash bangs in an attempt to disperse the crowd, who waved flags and signs with messages like “ICE out of our communities”.
LAPD has also issued a dispersal order, as the Los Angeles Times reported earlier.
A DISPERSAL ORDER has been issued by the Incident Commander on Alameda between Aliso and 2nd St.
An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared.
Leave the area.
— LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) June 8, 2025
LAPD authorizes use of ‘less lethal munitions’ on crowd
As the Los Angeles Times reported earlier, the Los Angeles police department has declared the protest outside the Metropolitan detention center an “unlawful assembly”. It has also authorized “use of less lethal munitions” and orders everyone to leave the area or face arrest.
The Incident Commander has declared an UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY in the area of Alameda between Temple and Aliso St.
All persons must leave the area or be subject to arrest.
— LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) June 8, 2025
The use of less lethal munitions has been authorized by the Incident Commander.
Persons throwing items at officers will be detained and arrested.
An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared by the Incident Commander.
— LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) June 8, 2025