DIDPress: The U.S. President bypassed California Governor Gavin Newsom’s authority and deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to suppress protesters opposing immigration policies.
New York Times reported on Saturday (June 7), that President Donald Trump in a rare action has deployed 2,000 National Guard members to California to crack down on protests against immigration policies. Using an uncommon exercise of federal authority, he overrode the powers of Governor Gavin Newsom.
Control over the deployment of National Guard forces traditionally rests with state governors. However, legal experts say Trump used his rare powers to suppress “any rebellion, domestic violence, unlawful assembly, or conspiracy.”
“Where protests or violent acts directly obstruct the enforcement of laws, these actions constitute a rebellion against the authority of the United States government,” Trump wrote in a statement.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, meanwhile, announced that President Trump ordered the deployment in response to “violent agitators” who, according to her, attacked federal agents and immigration officers.
On Friday and Saturday, protests took place in California against federal raids on workplaces across the state.
Governor Newsom, a Democrat, immediately criticized the president’s move as a usurpation of state authority, describing it “deliberately provocative” and saying it would only escalate tensions.
“This mission is misguided and will erode public trust,” he added.
During his first term, Trump had also suggested using U.S. forces in a similar manner to quell violence amid nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis.