LOS ANGELES — In a sharp rebuke to the Trump administration, California Governor Gavin Newsom has formally demanded the withdrawal of National Guard troops deployed to Los Angeles, calling the federal order “unlawful” and a “serious breach of state sovereignty.”
The deployment, which came amid intensifying protests against federal immigration crackdowns, was ordered by President Trump under a rarely invoked section of Title 10 of the U.S. Code. The statute permits federal control of National Guard troops in cases of rebellion or threats to U.S. authority.
Newsom, in a letter to the administration and in posts on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), rejected the justification for the order and insisted the situation remains under local control.
“Rescind the order,” Newsom wrote. “Return control to California.”
The governor’s legal affairs secretary, David Sapp, also sent a letter to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, stating that local law enforcement was adequately handling the situation and federal intervention was unwarranted.
“Local law enforcement resources are sufficient to maintain order,” Sapp wrote, adding, “In dynamic and fluid situations such as the one in Los Angeles, state and local authorities are the most appropriate ones to evaluate the need for resources.”
The Trump administration has not yet responded publicly to the governor’s demands.
The federal activation of a state’s National Guard without the governor’s consent is extremely rare. The last such occurrence was in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators, according to Elizabeth Goitein of the Brennan Center for Justice.
Speaking from Sacramento, Newsom further criticized the move as politically motivated and dangerous.
“We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” he said. “This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed.”
The protests in Los Angeles continued into the weekend, marked by tear gas, tense standoffs, and calls for justice from demonstrators. But city officials, including LAPD representatives, have said the situation, while volatile, remains manageable with current local and state resources.
As the standoff between state and federal authorities deepens, the legality and precedent of the president’s action are likely to face increased scrutiny — both in the courts and in the court of public opinion.