SEND IN THE TROOPS
US President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that had he not sent Marines and other soldiers to Los Angeles, the city “would be burning to the ground right now”.
“If I hadn’t ‘SEND IN THE TROOPS’ to Los Angeles over the past three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
In an effort to quell the protests, approximately 700 Marines have been dispatched to Los Angeles, along with 4,000 National Guard troops. It is important to note that the American military does not have a role in domestic law enforcement. The US Marines were previously deployed domestically in 2005 during Hurricane Katrina and in response to the 26/11 attacks.
California Governor Gavin Newsom remarked that this action by the US president represents “the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president”. The state is taking legal action against the president for deploying troops without the governor’s consent.
The last instance of a president sending National Guard troops to a US city without the approval of a governor occurred in 1965.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman informed the BBC that the additional deployment was unwarranted, as only a “small fraction” of the local population was protesting, and an even smaller number had committed any offenses.
Today marks the fourth day of tumultuous protests against immigration raids. Local officials report that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have instilled fear within the immigrant community.
The state has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for mobilizing National Guard troops in the city.
Nevertheless, Trump’s Border Czar, Tom Homan, warned that elected officials could face arrest if they obstructed agents on the ground.
“I’m telling you what, we’re going to keep enforcing law every day in L.A.,” Homan stated. “Every day in L.A., we’re going to enforce immigration law. I don’t care if they like it or not.”
“I’ll say it about anybody,” Homan continued. “You cross that line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement in carrying out their duties.”
