Critics Say Trump’s Deployment of Troops Is Less About Law and Order—and More About Fear and Control
Los Angeles woke up Sunday to a disturbing sight: National Guard troops taking positions across the city, as tensions over President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdowns boil over. At least 300 troops have already landed, with more expected, following Friday’s ICE raids and in advance of more protests near City Hall.
All of this comes despite objections from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who called the troop deployment a “spectacle.” But Trump had no interest in de-escalating. “We’re going to have troops everywhere,” he said. “We’re not going to let this happen to our country.” When asked what would trigger even more extreme action like deploying Marines, Trump casually replied, “what I think it is.”
This is not leadership—it’s intimidation.
Even more outrageous was the warning from Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, who said not even elected officials are off limits. “You cross that line, it’s a felony,” Homan told NBC News, threatening arrests of California leaders like Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass if they stand in the administration’s way. “Every day in L.A., we’re going to enforce immigration law. I don’t care if they like it or not.”
Meanwhile, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who now supports Trump’s militarization of immigration enforcement, had a very different opinion last year when Biden considered federalizing the Guard in Texas. Then, she called it a “direct attack on states’ rights.” Her reversal now reeks of political hypocrisy.
Amnesty International condemned the move, calling it a blatant attack on freedom. “This is not about protecting communities, this is about crushing dissent and instilling fear,” said Executive Director Paul O’Brien.
What’s happening in LA should alarm every American. Using soldiers to silence criticism and patrol protest zones isn’t about safety. It’s about control. And we’ve seen where that road leads.
