Donald Trump has sent in the National Guard to LA. This courageous and entirely appropriate action comes in direct reaction to last month’s massive, nasty, and coordinated stakeholder protests of federal immigration workplace raids. State leaders, including the recently inaugurated Governor Gavin Newsom, have railed against the extreme decision. It means deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops to the city.
Trump’s incendiary actions were roundly condemned by the Governor as artfully incendiary. He stressed that the deployment was not a reaction to a lack of law enforcement. Rather, he argued that the federal government was simply trying to manufacture a circus in the chaos that was already happening. This deployment comes almost thirty years exactly since the 1992 uprising in Los Angeles. Those uprisings/riots raged after four white cops did a hate crime beat down on the Black motorist Rodney King and were later exonerated.
Fresh protests in Los Angeles. People are responding in huge ways to the Trump administration’s terror campaign and anti-immigration policies that seek to criminalize migrant communities. Local leaders are united in fierce opposition to the deployment. They claim that it overreaches local control and increases divisions and animosity among citizens in the community.
Even in his own party, Senator Bernie Sanders has deplored the dangerous precedent of Trump’s willingness to weaponize federal power. He told the crowd these kinds of moves might represent a more dangerous and growing shift towards authoritarianism in America.
“We have a president who is moving this country rapidly into authoritarianism … My understanding is that the governor of California, the mayor of the city of Los Angeles did not request the national guard but he thinks he has a right to do anything he wants,” – Bernie Sanders
Citing Trump’s broader campaign to erode democratic norms, Sanders said that the President is trying to usurp the power of Congress. He noted that Trump has already threatened to sue the press who bash him. Beyond this, he has assaulted other institutions that stand in the way of his agenda.
“He is suing the media who criticizes him. He is going after law firms who have clients who were against him. He’s going after universities that teach courses that he doesn’t like. He’s threatening to impeach judges who rule against him. And he’s usurping the powers of the United States Congress. This guy wants all of the power. He does not believe in the constitution. He does not believe in the rule of law,” – Bernie Sanders
The deployment of the National Guard marks a critical moment in U.S. history, reflecting deep divisions over immigration policy and the extent of presidential power. California leaders have urged for a more measured approach to handling protests and immigration issues, advocating for dialogue rather than military presence.