The Voice News: California Governor Gavin Newsom is planning to file a lawsuit against U.S. President Donald Trump for deploying the National Guard without consulting the state administration.
He described Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to suppress protests as unlawful.
In an interview with U.S. news outlet NBC on Sunday, Newsom said, “The protests in Los Angeles have been fueled by conditions created by Trump himself. And now, without any discussion with the state administration, he has deployed National Guard troops. His action is unlawful, and I am preparing to file a lawsuit against the Trump administration.”
He added, “From the beginning, Trump’s actions have not been befitting of a president, but rather of a dictator.”
Meanwhile, on the same day, NBC also spoke with California’s police chief Jim McDonnell, who stated that the situation in Los Angeles had spiraled out of control.
When asked whether deploying the National Guard was truly necessary, McDonnell didn’t respond directly. Instead, he said, “Given the protest situation we are witnessing tonight, I think we need to reconsider our earlier plans.”
Trump, in support of McDonnell, wrote on his social media platform Truth Social:
“Take whatever steps are necessary. Show no mercy to the thugs and criminals. Make America Great Again.”
On Friday, June 6, California police and the U.S. Customs enforcement agency Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a crackdown in Los Angeles to identify and arrest undocumented immigrants. During this operation, clashes erupted between immigration seekers and law enforcement officers in the Paramount suburb of Los Angeles.
Notably, the suburb of Paramount is home to a large immigrant population from Mexico and Latin American countries. Most of these immigrants lack valid documentation and communicate primarily in Spanish.
As time passed, the scale and intensity of the conflict grew, spreading to various areas beyond Paramount. Before the situation escalated further, on Saturday, 2,000 members of the National Guard — a semi-military force under the U.S. Armed Forces — were deployed in Los Angeles.
However, this deployment did little to improve the situation. National Guard members took positions around government buildings and offices to prevent possible attacks by protesters. While no government buildings were attacked, several vehicles were set on fire since Saturday.
To disperse the protesters, tear gas and batons were used. So far, police have arrested over 200 protesters on charges of attacking police and National Guard personnel and damaging government property.