The Trump Administration is suggesting that the President might broaden the deployment of the National Guard to support immigration enforcement and control protests during its crackdown.
President Trump told reporters this week that the deployment of thousands of National Guard members to Los Angeles “the first, perhaps, of many.”
“I can inform the rest of the country that when they do it, if they do it, they’re going to be met with equal or greater force than we met right here,” the President cautioned.
According to Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, discussions about mobilizing the National Guard to assist with immigration enforcement in the U.S. have been ongoing “for months.”
Homan stated that further deployments will be evaluated if other cities follow Los Angeles’ path. He added, “As long as it’s peaceful protest we’re okay, but if it gets out of hand like it did in L.A., then the President will consider it on a case-by-case basis.”
Homan indicated that the military could offer security, transportation, infrastructure, and intelligence support, while clarifying that they couldn’t participate in immigration arrests.
These remarks follow Trump’s mobilization of National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, a decision opposed by state and local authorities, in response to protests sparked by a series of immigration raids. At least 330 undocumented immigrants have been apprehended in the city. Although the protests have generally been peaceful, heightened tensions led to restrictions in parts of downtown Los Angeles through Thursday. Protests have also spread, as demonstrators have taken to the streets both to show solidarity with Los Angeles and to voice their disapproval of the Trump Administration’s immigration policies.
The commander overseeing the federal troops sent to L.A. told The Associated Press that five hundred of the National Guardsmen in L.A. have assisted immigration agents. However, officials expressed uncertainty about the military’s continued presence once demonstrations subside.
Its presence there is being challenged in court. A federal judge initially ruled Trump’s federalization of California’s National Guard as unlawful and mandated its return to state control. However, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily halted this decision hours later, handing Trump a victory.
On Truth Social Friday, the President stated, “If I didn’t send the Military into Los Angeles, that city would be burning to the ground right now. We saved L.A. Thank you for the Decision!!!” following the stay.
Prior to the L.A. deployment, the Department of Homeland Security requested over 20,000 National Guardsmen to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) earlier in the year.
According to a memo obtained by the Washington Post, the service members would assist with transporting and processing individuals to detention centers, as well as aiding in apprehending people.
“`
