California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Sunday evening that the state plans to sue the Trump administration over the president’s decision to order National Guard troops into Los Angeles to protect federal immigration officials.
Newsom made the announcement during an interview on MSNBC as chaos unfolded in the streets of downtown L.A. with protesters setting cars on fire, hurling rocks and other objects at law enforcement, and attacking officers with fireworks.
Newsom was asked to direct his comments to the president, assuming he was watching the broadcast.
“Where’s your decency, Mr. President? Stop. Rescind this order,” Newsom said. “It’s illegal and unconstitutional … It’s immoral. You’re creating the conditions that you claim you’re solving, and you’re not, and you’re putting real people’s lives at risk.”
Newsom said the Trump administration acted unconstitutionally when it assumed control of the National Guard without coordinating with him.
The deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state’s national guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration’s mass deportation efforts.
“This is a serious moment, and it requires serious leadership, and it’s time for you to be a commander in chief of the United States of America, and I will have your back if you want to work in a relationship of trust and truth in the spirit of our founding fathers, but you come after poor kids. You come after families. We will do everything in our power to stand up and stand in your way.”
Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed the increasingly aggressive protests on Trump’s decision to deploy the Guard, calling it a move designed to enflame tensions. They’ve both urged protesters to remain peaceful.
“What we’re seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration,” she said in an afternoon press conference. “This is about another agenda, this isn’t about public safety.”
The National Guard was deployed to the Los Angeles area after two days of protests erupted over federal immigration enforcement.
Demonstrations began Friday in downtown Los Angeles and then spread Saturday to Paramount, a largely Latino city, and nearby Compton. These protests were sparked by federal agents arresting immigrants on Friday in various locations, including LA’s fashion district and a Home Depot parking lot.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
