President Trump has ordered the National Guard to arrive in L.A. within 24 hours to manage the protests that the Trump administration believes got out of control.
Bill Essayli, the interim U.S. attorney for the Central District of California, said that they need roughly 2000 troops to “keep the peace”. However, the local government did not ask for assistance from the National Guard. Rob Bonta, the California attorney general, was told that the local law enforcement had the resources they needed to manage the protests caused by immigration.
The protests began on Friday, June 6th, after an immigration raid on a clothing shop in Los Angeles. The protests continued on Saturday across the Southern California region. The National Guard was ordered to be sent out on Saturday, June 7th. The National Guard retaliated with violence when they arrived. Over 100 people were arrested between the two days. Mr. Essayli alleges that the protestors threw rocks and a few Molotov cocktails at the officers.
Governor Gavin Newsom disagrees with Trump’s order, calling it “purposefully inflammatory”. He claims that the National Guard was released not because there weren’t enough resources but because they wanted attention. Mr. Essayli disagrees, he says it’s not about politics but about keeping the country safe from “violent criminals” who are are in the country unlawfully.
A spokesperson for the Governor said that Trump knows that the local government has a few processes to handle the protests without using the military. The spokesperson also disagreed with Mr. Essayli, arguing that the president doesn’t need thousands of armed soldiers to deal with hundreds of protesters.
Mr. Essayli would not release information on where the National Guard would be sent on Sunday but says that they will be focused on protecting national property. He said their location would depend on where the protestors are gathering. Mr. Essayli then accused the state’s “sanctuary” law of causing the protests. The state’s law allows federal immigration enforcement to detain undocumented criminals for deportation if they have committed a serious offense. However, the law prevents local law enforcement from detaining people for federal offenses.