Gavin Newsom called the National Guard forces sent to Los Angeles by former President Trump a “threat to state sovereignty” and demanded their withdrawal. Democratic governors are assessing this move as a “dangerous abuse of power”.
At a time when protests against raids on migrants continue in California, state governor Gavin Newsom officially appealed to Pete Hegseth, a representative of the US Department of Defense. He labeled the deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles as “illegal militarization” and demanded their withdrawal.
Previously, former President Donald Trump had ordered the deployment of 2000 National Guardsmen to California following the migration raids. Within just a week, 118 people were arrested around Los Angeles on suspicion of violating immigration laws.
“We had no problem until Trump intervened. This is a crude violation of state sovereignty, intensifying social tension, and diverting resources from where they are truly needed,” wrote Governor Newsom in his official statement.
According to him, if there is no foreign threat or rebellion posing a threat to national security, whether the state needs federal assistance or not - is decided solely by the state leader.
Furthermore, Democratic governors in 22 states have criticised Trump's actions as a “worryingly abusive use of authority”, and sharply condemned Hegseth's threat to send Marines to California.
