National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles on Sunday amid ongoing protests against immigration raids, despite California Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections.

Mr Newsom formally requested President Donald Trump’s administration to rescind the order to deploy the troops.

The governor made the request via a letter to defence secretary Pete Hegseth, which he then shared on X.

“We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty – inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed,” Mr Newsom wrote. “Rescind the order. Return control to California.”

Mr Trump signed a memorandum on Saturday deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen “to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester”, the White House said.

An expert cited by The New York Times said this is the first time in 60 years that a president has deployed a state’s National Guard without the governor’s consent.

The last instance was in 1965 when President Lyndon B Johnson used troops to protect predominantly Black demonstrators during the civil rights movement in Alabama.

The protests began on Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers executed search warrants across the city as Mr Trump pushed forward with his goal of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Mr Newsom appealed to protesters to remain peaceful and not give the government an excuse to act.

“Trump is trying to manufacture a crisis in LA County — deploying troops not for order, but to create chaos,” he wrote on X. “Don’t take the bait. Never use violence or harm law enforcement.”

Los Angeles Police said protests continued on Sunday, even when authorities had declared it an unlawful gathering.

Protesters had blocked traffic on a freeway and had gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Centre, where soldiers had formed a perimeter around the building.

“Officers are reporting that people in the crowd are throwing concrete, bottles and other objects. Arrests are being initiated,” police wrote on X.
Cars had also been stopped and set alight on roads, the police said.

An infantry brigade combat team of the guard has deployed approximately 300 soldiers to three separate locations in the greater Los Angeles area, the U.S. Northern Command stated.

“They are conducting safety and protection of federal property and personnel,” it added.

In a post on Truth Social, Mr Trump said Los Angeles had been “invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals”.

“Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations. But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve,” he wrote.

He had directed his officials “to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the migrant invasion and put an end to these migrant riots”.

He added, “Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the city would “always stand” with those who call it home.

“Deploying federalised troops on the heels of these raids is a chaotic escalation,” she wrote on X. “The fear people are feeling in our city right now is very real – it’s felt in our communities and within our families, and it puts our neighbourhoods at risk. This is the last thing that our city needs, and I urge protestors to remain peaceful. Los Angeles will always stand with everyone who calls our city home.”

Mr Trump’s administration has threatened to deploy regular armed forces domestically, which would represent an even greater breach of norms.

Mr Hegseth stated that, if necessary, U.S. Marines stationed in California could also be mobilised.

Mr Newsom condemned Hegseth’s threat to deploy U.S. soldiers against its own citizens on U.S. soil, calling it “deranged behaviour” in a post on X.

Mr Hegseth responded to Newsom on X stating that the National Guard “and Marines if need be” stood with ICE.

“There is plenty of room for peaceful protest, but ZERO tolerance for attacking federal agents who are doing their job,” he wrote.

The U.S. Northern Command said about 500 Marines were “in a prepared to deploy status” should they be needed.

(dpa/NAN)