General
Wednesday Briefing
The deployment of troops to Los Angeles.
President Trump has mobilized thousands of National Guard troops in California.Credit…Mark Abramson for The New York Times
Why is the U.S. military in L.A.?
The use of military force on domestic soil in the U.S. is rare, and it is usually reserved for the most extreme situations. In deploying 4,000 members of the National Guard and 700 Marines in response to protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles, President Trump is pushing his powers to the limit.
California officials asked a court yesterday for an emergency order that would limit the role of the Marines and the Guard to protecting federal property. The state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, said Trump was bringing the country to the precipice of authoritarianism.
“California may be first, but it clearly won’t end here,” Newsom said in a televised address. “Other states are next. Democracy is next.” Trump has defended his response, saying, “If we didn’t get involved, right now Los Angeles would be burning.”
Helene Cooper, who covers the Pentagon, gave us more context. “While National Guard troops often deploy to help local authorities contend with wildfires, national disasters or even protests, it is usually done in conjunction with governors,” she said. “As with many other things in this administration, President Trump is pushing the boundaries of the law.”
Active-duty forces are barred from domestic law enforcement, unless the president invokes the Insurrection Act, which allows for the use of federal troops on U.S. soil. “It is hard to see how the Los Angeles protests, which are scattered and not really affecting life in the city in a widespread way, can be seen as an insurrection,” Helene said.
The latest: Mayor Karen Bass imposed a curfew in downtown Los Angeles, and thousands of demonstrators gathered across the nation. We have live updates.
