LA Takeover Ruled Unlawful, But Not Unstoppable
A recent judge ruled that the Los Angeles takeovers were unlawful. “Liberty County Courthouse, Liberty, Texas 1806051216” by Patrick Feller, CC BY 2.0
Immigration rights protesters feared for their lives when President Donald Trump deployed about 4,000 California National Guard members in Los Angeles this past June, with the administration saying their deployment was a precaution against anti-immigration raid protests. Since July 15, around 300 National Guard members remain in the city.
The Trump administration saw the Los Angeles protests against federal immigration raids and mass deportations as riots. This spurred the action of sending troops in as a necessary precaution.
After the withdrawal of most of the troops, President Trump said that he may send them back in. However, a recent ruling may thwart his plans: a federal court in California cited this “takeover” as unlawful.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did not give consent to the occupation, due to rights, such as the Posse Comitatus Act, being violated. She acknowledged that sending in federal law enforcement is not the solution to community security.
On the social media site X, Bass stated, “You don’t deploy the armed forces because of people’s feelings,” as well as “The military is not a tool to make people feel better.”
The ruling comes as Trump attempts to crush crime rates in other US cities, as well as to protect and support immigration enforcement. This will hold up until Sept. 12, allowing time for the Trump administration to appeal. However, this ruling is confined to Los Angeles due to its specific circumstances, including the treatment of protestors and breach of powers. In the meantime, Trump is sending National Guard troops to Washington, D.C.
D.C.’s Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has pointed to a large drop in physical offenses. This, additionally, has gotten similar backlash from the city’s attorney general, Brian Schwalb. Schwalb claimed that this surge of troops amounts to “involuntary military occupation.”
Considering this occupation as a victory, Trump has started eyeing other cities where he can deploy the troops, such as Chicago.
During his press event on Sept. 2, Trump commented on the recent events in Chicago, stating, “But when I watched the television last night, and I’m watching the news, I see that nine people were killed in Chicago and 54 were badly wounded with bullets. I say, ‘That's not my country…We have to do something.’”
New York has been in the crosshairs of Trump, with him expressing interest in the past about establishing federal dominance over New York City.
After the 2025 New York mayoral primary, Trump expressed his dislike towards frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, calling him a communist during a meeting with his cabinet.
On Aug. 11, Trump stated to Fox5 New York, “We have other cities that are very bad. New York has a problem. We’re not going to let it happen. We’re not going to lose our cities over this. And this will go further.”
The chaos from the deployment has shaken the Los Angeles community, upending numerous undocumented residents and families, and creating an uneasy environment for its locals. Even though Trump is at a standstill with the troops, American cities brace themselves for the unknown.