Donald Trump and his “border czar,” Tom Homan, have been conducting increasingly controversial immigration raids and deportations of undocumented immigrants. This has all boiled over in downtown Los Angeles, where hundreds of people protested against the administration’s policies. These protests involved some criminal activity—primarily vandalism—but then President Trump chose to deploy the National Guard and Marines without asking for Governor Newsom’s permission, inflaming tensions. According to the AP, Newsom and Mayor Bass have been exceedingly critical of this decision, believing it to be an unprecedented overreach of power; Newsom stated that “California may be first, but it clearly will not end here. Other states are next. Democracy is next.”
Protestors and the federal soldiers have clashed since their deployment, possibly worsening the situation. Videos have been found online of protestors shouting at the federal troops, and the LAPD has also come under fire for their forceful handling of the protests. Governor Newsom and Trump have been exchanging blows about the situation as well, with Homan suggesting that Newsom be arrested for interfering in ICE enforcement efforts; Trump followed up by saying that “I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great.” ABC News even reported that Speaker Johnson commented that Newsom “ought to be tarred and feathered.” –Boris Nusinzon
