California has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration over its decision to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles without the governor’s approval. State officials have said that this move is unlawful, and it only adds more tension to already heated protests.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced the lawsuit on Monday, saying President Donald Trump crossed the lines when he deployed troops without Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent.
“Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion,” Bonta said in a statement. “The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends.”
The lawsuit alleges that Trump misused a federal law that allows the president to send troops only in rare situations, like foreign invasion or a major rebellion against the US government. It said none of these conditions are present.
The deployment occurred after violent protests broke out in Los Angeles in response to immigration raids. But Newsom and other Democratic leaders said the state is capable of handling the protests without federal interference.
NEWSOM SAYS ACTION IS UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Governor Gavin Newsom strongly opposed the move. He has already sent a official letter to the Trump administration asking to withdraw the troops. In the letter, addressed to Secretary Pete Hegseth, Newsom said the deployment is unlawful and disrupts California’s ability to use its own resources where they are actually needed.
“There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles,” Newsom wrote. “To do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation.”
