Washington – Saba:
The city of Los Angeles witnessed the deployment of 2,000 U.S. National Guard troops on Sunday, amidst escalating protests against recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations aimed at identifying and detaining undocumented immigrants.
Clashes between protesters and federal agents had erupted earlier when an ICE raid in downtown Los Angeles escalated. U.S. Border Patrol Agent Tom Homan stated to Fox News, "We're bringing in more resources right now... We're calling up the National Guard tonight. We'll continue to do our job."
The White House subsequently announced that President Donald Trump had signed a memorandum authorizing the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to address the ongoing protests. White House Press Secretary Carolyn Leavitt stated, "These operations are essential to stopping and reversing the invasion of the United States by illegal criminals. In the wake of this violence, California's weak Democratic leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens." She added, "That's why President Trump signed a presidential memorandum to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to address the chaos that has been allowed to fester."
California, a traditional Democratic stronghold, has frequently been a target of criticism from President Trump. Last month, he threatened to cut federal funding to the state over the participation of a transgender athlete in competitions. The administration had also previously canceled $126.4 million in funding for flood prevention projects and criticized California's handling of wildfires.
On Saturday, California Governor Gavin Newsom reportedly threatened that the state could withhold federal taxes in retaliation for potential significant cuts to federal funding by the Trump administration. Governor Newsom has also publicly condemned the National Guard deployment, calling it "purposefully inflammatory" and stating it "will only escalate tensions." He asserted that local authorities have not requested additional support and that the move "is the wrong mission and will erode public trust."
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