California officials and US President Donald Trump are currently at loggerheads, with the former on Monday blaming the latter for worsening anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles by deploying National Guard troops, while the White House justified the move by saying that the demonstrations had already been violent enough to do so.
This is the fourth day of protests over Trump’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy, a hardline immigration policy forcing the deportation of illegal migrants.
Trump has cited a legal provision that allows him to mobilise federal service members when there is “a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States”. However, California Governor Gavin Newsom calls the deployment of the National Guard—which was done without his permission—“an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act”.
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Arguing that Trump had deployed the National Guard on purpose, and that the anti-ICE riots could become just as violent in other US states due to Trump’s executive order, Newsom declared that his office would be suing the US President.
Trump responded by mocking an “incompetent” Newsom, even going as far as to say that the California Governor being arrested would be “great”.
“I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great … Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing,” Trump had told reporters, referring to Tom Homan, a top immigration official who had earlier warned that anyone who obstructed immigration enforcement efforts—including the governors—could be arrested.
There are currently 1,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles under federal orders, expected to reach an allocated strength of 2,000 by the end of the day, in accordance with Trump’s executive Title 10 orders, an Associated Press report said, citing unnamed US officials.
Los Angeles riots: Will US President Donald Trump make good on his arrest threat to California Governor Gavin Newsom?
