Los Angeles: US President Donald Trump claimed Tuesday that Los Angeles "would be burning to the ground" if he did not send US troops into America's second largest city amid ongoing mass demonstrations against his sweeping immigration raids.
According to Anadolu Agency, Trump has deployed roughly 4,000 US National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to Los Angeles, despite objections from California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Both officials have warned that the action will only serve to inflame an already tenuous situation in the city.
Newsom announced Monday that the country's most populous state is suing the Trump administration over the president's action, which he said threatens state sovereignty. He expressed concerns on X, stating that the "illegal order" signed by Trump could allow him to send the military into any state at his discretion, a move that Newsom described as a step toward authoritarianism that threatens the foundation of the republic. He urged governors from both political parties to reject what he called an "outrageous overreach."
The protests in Los Angeles began on Friday following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents' raids on local businesses, resulting in the detention of hundreds of individuals suspected of living in the US illegally. The Trump administration has continued to execute these raids, despite opposition from the local community. Critics argue that ICE is targeting law-abiding undocumented migrants who are integral to the community and local economy, rather than focusing on criminals, which was a key promise of Trump's campaign to return to the White House.