A federal judge will hold a hearing Thursday on California Gov. Gavin Newsom's request to block the Trump administration from using the National Guard and Marines to assist with immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Newsom filed the emergency request Tuesday seeking to immediately block the administration from sending troops to help support immigration raids. The governor argued it would only escalate tensions and promote civil unrest.
Administration lawyers say Newsom is seeking an unprecedented and dangerous court order that would interfere with the federal government's ability to carry out operations.
Newsom filed the emergency request after President Donald Trump ordered the deployment to LA of roughly 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines following protests of the president's stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws. The demonstrations in the city of 4 million people have largely been centered in several blocks of downtown.
The federal government said Newsom was seeking an unprecedented and dangerous order that would interfere with its ability to carry out enforcement operations. A judge set a hearing for Thursday.
The governor's request said it was in response to a change in orders for the Guard members, who were originally deployed to protect federal buildings. The court documents said sending troops on immigration raids would only escalate tensions and promote civil unrest.
The Marines and another 2,000 National Guard troops were sent to L.A. on Monday, adding to a military presence that local officials and Newsom do not want and that the police chief says makes it harder to handle the protests safely.
Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith said Tuesday that the Marines deployed to the area had not yet been called to respond to the protests and were there only to protect federal officials and property.
The Marines were trained for crowd control but have no arrest authority, Smith told a budget hearing on Capitol Hill.
Paul Eck, deputy general counsel in the California Military Department, said the agency was informed that the Pentagon plans to direct the California National Guard to start providing support for immigration operations. That support would include holding secure perimeters around areas where raids are taking place and securing streets for immigration agents, he said in the governor's emergency request.
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