Inside the Trump administration’s decision to deploy the National Guard to California

Tensions between the Trump administration and California intensified this weekend as President Donald Trump decided to deploy 2,000 National Guard members to the Los Angeles area, a move the state’s Democratic leaders cast as an unnecessary escalation amid protests over the administration’s immigration policies. Trump campaigned on aggressive mass deportations, and there has been enormous pressure on his administration to boost those efforts as the first months of his second term have fallen far short of his stated goals. The aggressive enforcement push, in addition to long-simmering tensions between Trump and California, contributed to a fraught weekend in Los Angeles, where protests became violent at times. As protests escalated Friday, Homeland Security Department officials began preparing to augment resources and personnel on the ground to provide force protection for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were conducting a previously planned operation. In calls that stretched into Friday evening, officials prepared for what one source described as a Portland-type incident, harking back to protests that erupted in that Oregon city in 2020, as protesters surrounded a federal building in Los Angeles. The Department of Homeland Security prepared to surge resources to Los Angeles, including armored vehicles and less-lethal munitions like gas and pepper balls, and to deploy hundreds more personnel from across the department, according to two sources familiar with the calls. During those discussions, officials considered whether they needed to cancel the operation, but eventually, the overall assessment among officials was that the ICE operation — focused on targeting businesses and migrants with criminal records — was ongoing and needed to proceed, according to sources with knowledge of the talks. The decision: send more resources and agents to the area to provide protection for ICE agents and to guard one of the federal buildings where the protests had consolidated. Over the course of the day Saturday, DHS and White House officials were in near constant communication about the situation on the ground, as resources and personnel continued to arrive in the city. By Saturday evening, when it was clear the administration couldn’t keep adding federal authorities without pulling from elsewhere, the White House decided to pull the trigger and bring in the National Guard, according to one of the sources. “Administration officials were briefed on escalating attacks on law enforcement, such as rocks being thrown at their vehicles by rioters,” a White House official said. The official added, “It was abundantly clear federal law enforcement were not allowed to do their jobs and were being attacked.” Trump signed a presidential memorandum authorizing the deployment of National Guard members on Saturday night, and his press secretary announced the decision as the president made his way to a UFC fight in Newark, New Jersey. The overwhelming message from Trump, his top aides and congressional allies: The decision was made because Californian leaders were not doing their job. “California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens. That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in the statement announcing the deployment. California Gov. Gavin Newsom pushed back strongly, warning the deployment would only fan the flames. “That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions. LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice. We are in close coordination with the city and county, and there is currently no unmet need,” the Democratic governor wrote on social media. He later said Trump was trying to “manufacture a crisis.” During his first term, Trump mused on several occasions about deploying US troops on domestic soil, either to crush protests or tamp down on crime. Aides at the time talked Trump out of the move, which would amount to a dramatic step without recent precedent. Now, however, the president is less encumbered by aides who seek to restrain his more extreme impulses. And after a campaign during which Trump promised crackdowns on crime and illegal immigration, he appears eager to demonstrate a willingness to use maximalist actions to follow through on his pledges. One senior law enforcement source involved in responding to the unrest said they saw the deployment of the National Guard as an overreaction that may backfire and only provoke additional agitators. That source noted that potentially violent demonstrators observed by law enforcement around Los Angeles as of early Saturday evening numbered in the dozens and law enforcement officers were actively working to bring them under control. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem defended the move Sunday as a matter of security. The National Guard, she said during an appearance on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” is expected to “use their special skill set to keep peace.” “National Guard soldiers are there to provide security for operations and to make sure that we have peaceful protests,” Noem said. The immigration crackdown in Los Angeles comes amid a renewed push by the White House to increase immigration arrests. Deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, a top Trump aide and architect of the administration’s most hardline immigration policies, communicated that urgency in a meeting last month with senior ICE officials, pushing agents to significantly increase arrests. In the weeks that followed, ICE has significantly ramped up its enforcement efforts. According to a senior DHS official, ICE’s “enhanced enforcement operations … have resulted in a significant increase in arrests, reaching a new daily record of 2,368” arrests on June 4. The daily arrest average during Trump’s first 100 days in office was approximately 1,000. The deployment also comes as the Trump administration has threatened major cuts to federal spending in California. CNN reported Friday that the administration is preparing to cancel a large swath of federal funding for the state, according to multiple sources. Agencies are being told to start identifying grants the administration can withhold from California, and sources said the administration is specifically considering a full termination of federal grant funding for the University of California and California State University systems. Trump has repeatedly publicly lambasted Newsom, with whom he has long had a contentious relationship that only deteriorated amid the state’s handling of devastating wildfires earlier this year. The two men spoke by phone for approximately 40 minutes on Friday, Newsom’s office said in a statement. During that call, the White House official said, Trump “told Newsom to get the police in gear because it was getting out of control.” It is unclear how long the National Guard could be present, but the memorandum signed by Trump states that the guard’s service will last 60 days at the discretion of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino made clear that the protests would not deter immigration enforcement efforts, saying in a post to social media, “We are not stopping or slowing down. We are not intimidated or apprehensive. Illegal immigration operations will continue and anyone using violence to obstruct and impede these operations will be investigated and prosecuted.” Hegseth, for his part, posted Saturday that active-duty Marines stationed at nearby Camp Pendleton were on “high alert” to support the National Guard. Trump told reporters Sunday that he was not prepared at this time to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, which authorizes presidents to deploy US military domestically. Asked whether he was prepared to invoke the law, Trump told reporters in New Jersey it “depends whether or not there is an insurrection.” Pressed on whether he believed there was one happening in Los Angeles, he said, “No, but you have violent people and we’re not going to let them get away with it.” Trump was asked his definition of an insurrection, and said, “You really just have to look at the site and see what’s happening. Last night in Los Angeles, we watched it very closely. There was a lot of violence there.” Still, he kept the option open. “We’re going to see what we need. We’ll send whatever we need to make sure there is law and order,” Trump said as he prepared to depart for Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland. Just over an hour later, he claimed on social media that “violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking” federal agents in Los Angeles to halt deportation efforts by his administration. Trump, for his part, is expected to huddle with Hegseth and other top officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Sunday evening at Camp David for what the White House says will become a regular off-campus retreat to address a number of issues and topics.