Trump mobilizes National Guard in L.A. - protests remain peaceful!

Trump mobilizes National Guard in L.A. - protests remain peaceful!

Los Angeles, USA - President Donald Trump mobilized the national guard in Los Angeles to react to the continuing protests against his migration policy. Contrary to the express request of the California governor Gavin Newsom and the city administration of Los Angeles, this mobilization is made. Trump describes the protests as an uprising and refers to Title 10 of the US code, which allows him to activate the national guard. Mobilization should last at least 60 days and includes the posting of initially 1,000 soldiers, with the aim of possibly increasing to up to 2,000 soldiers. According to the information of the Süddeutsche Zeitung , the protests in Los Angeles are mostly peaceful, and the leading public prosecutor Nathan Hochman reports of a decline in Ridings.

The situation in Los Angeles has relaxed in the past few days, although the majority of the population does not take part in the protests. Hochman emphasizes that only a small minority of around 400 people is involved in violent clashes and 99.99 percent of the residents have not participated in illegal actions. Unfortunately, the image is clouded by the increased military presence and the continued nightly curve, which has been in force since 8 p.m. local time. This affects only a small part of the city.

legal arguments

The approach of Trump caused violent criticism. Governor Newsom described the posting of the national guard as a break and spoke of a "dictatorial president". The California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the city administration plan to proceed in court against this commitment. Bonta sees the mobilization as illegal and announced that it would apply for an injunction to stop the use. The legal aspects are also complicated by the fact that the state usually has control over the national guard.

Despite the legal gray areas, Trump has announced that Defense Minister Pete Hegseth can order the mobilization of at least 2,000 national guards. Constitutional lawyers criticize this step as legally controversial. Historically, ex-President George H. W. Bush also started the National Guard, but only with the consent of the governor of the time, which in this case does not apply. In addition, Trump could possibly refer to the Insurrection Act from 1807 to justify his decision, but the legal basis of this decision remains uncertain.

effects of the protests

The protests, some of which were triggered by reinforced raids from the ICE immigration authority, are an expression of the deep split in the US society regarding migration policy. The use of the National Guard is seen by many as an escalating step, which further heats up the tensions. Mayor Karen Bass from Los Angeles sharply criticized Trump and accused him of provoking the protests by using the national guard. The Los Angeles police authority has reported that the demonstrations were largely peaceful, which is strongly contrast to Trump's dramatic rhetoric.

Overall, it turns out that the situation in Los Angeles is still tense, while the legal and political consequences of Trump's mobilization of the National Guard may have serious effects on the relationship between state and the federal government. California has already filed a lawsuit in order to legally check Trump's procedure, while the nationwide discussion on the rights of the president and the role of the military is continued in domestic matters. Several protests in other cities such as New York and San Antonio testify to the broad dissatisfaction with current politics and could also lead to further disputes in the coming days.