President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in a forceful response to days of escalating violence tied to anti-ICE demonstrations. The move marks a rare federal intervention under Title 10 authority—effectively overriding the state’s control and signaling a zero-tolerance stance toward what the administration is calling “coordinated domestic unrest.”
According to former acting ICE Director Tom Homan, the president gave the order after law enforcement reported significant violence erupting in areas like Paramount and downtown L.A., where mobs set fires, clashed with officers, and attempted to block federal immigration operations. “We’re making Los Angeles safer,” Homan said in a televised interview. “And we’re already mobilizing.”
ICE arrests in the city have surged, with over 100 detained during enforcement sweeps over the past week. Protesters, many of them masked, hurled projectiles, damaged property, and attacked federal agents—prompting the use of tear gas and flash-bang grenades.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that Marines at Camp Pendleton were placed on high alert as a precaution, raising the possibility of further action if violence spreads.
California Governor Gavin Newsom lashed out at the deployment, calling it “purposefully inflammatory” and accusing the White House of fueling division. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass struck a more moderate tone, defending the right to peaceful protest while pledging support to law enforcement in holding violent agitators accountable.
This is the first time since the 1960s that a U.S. president has federalized a National Guard unit without a governor’s consent. Legal scholars say the move could trigger constitutional debates about the limits of federal authority over state-controlled forces.
But inside the White House, officials are framing the moment as a critical stand for law and order. “These aren’t peaceful protests,” one official said. “This is organized chaos, and the President is stepping in to restore stability.”
With the situation still fluid, one thing is clear: the Trump administration is prepared to use the full weight of the federal government to protect ICE operations and enforce the law—whether California’s leadership approves or not.