The Voice News: California is asking a federal court to immediately block the deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines on the streets of Los Angeles, arguing the move is illegal and inflames civil unrest. The request comes as part of a broader lawsuit filed against the Trump administration.
Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday petitioned for a temporary restraining order that would limit federal troops’ roles strictly to protecting federal property, barring them from general law enforcement or immigration operations.
Attorney General Rob Bonta emphasized that the military should not police civilian areas, calling it a violation of core democratic principles. He urged that the California National Guard be returned to the governor’s command to resume its usual duties, such as drug enforcement and wildfire response.
“The military should not be patrolling American streets,” Bonta said. “Local law enforcement is fully capable of handling the protests, which have been largely peaceful.”
U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer gave the White House until Wednesday morning to respond to the state’s motion and scheduled a hearing for Thursday afternoon.
The court filing accuses President Donald Trump of misusing the military for political gain, citing his false claims about violence in Los Angeles. The state warns that military deployment risks escalating tensions and provoking violence.
“President Trump is not trying to create peace — he’s making things worse,” Bonta said. “Our military personnel are being used as political pawns.”
California’s lawsuit, filed Monday, targets both Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. It claims the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines violated the law since the state never requested or approved their presence.
Trump invoked a rarely used federal law meant for cases of rebellion to justify the deployment, following protests against ICE operations in Los Angeles. But state officials argue there has been no such rebellion, and that local police are trained and capable of handling the situation.
Newsom condemned Trump’s actions as authoritarian.
“Sending trained combat troops into civilian neighborhoods undermines democracy,” he said. “Donald Trump is acting like a tyrant, not a president.”
In response, White House spokesperson Anna Kelly accused Newsom of political grandstanding.
“Instead of prosecuting the rioters, Newsom is suing the president,” she said. “He should be thanking President Trump for restoring law and order.”
If granted, the restraining order would limit military involvement to the immediate areas around federal buildings. California’s legal filing argues that the protests have not reached the scale of past riots and that federal claims of an insurrection are exaggerated.
