Trump deploys National Guard to LA amid immigration protests

In a controversial move, Donald Trump has authorized 2,000 National Guard troops to assist with federal deportation operations in Los Angeles without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The deployment, which has sparked protests across the city, marks the first such federal action without a governor’s approval since 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators from segregationist Governor George Wallace.

“This is obviously very different kind of politics,” said Ian, “but nonetheless reflecting of where the country… is increasingly oriented—not in becoming more progressive… but instead in securing the border.”

Images of protests featuring Mexican flags, Ian notes, feed a narrative the president is eager to promote.

“If Trump continues to respond in a public and aggressive way, there’s certainly a risk that tensions could escalate,” Ian warned, “especially as deportation operations ramp up in the coming months.”