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A federal judge has granted President Trump at least two more days to continue deploying troops in Los Angeles, postponing California’s request for an immediate restraining order as the city braces for continued clashes between anti-deportation protesters and law enforcement. The deployment has grown to approximately 5,000 personnel, including 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines, with the Pentagon budgeting $134 million for the 60-day operation.
The protests began Friday when Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers attempted arrests, leading to demonstrators blocking their movement and federal agents deploying tear gas. Since then, the situation has escalated with vehicles set on fire, American flags burned and various objects including rental scooters thrown at officers.
The conflict has become a political flashpoint, with Republicans characterizing the protests as an insurrection involving thousands who have barricaded roads and fought police. Democrats, including Rep. Maxine Waters, maintain the protests have been largely peaceful, with Rep. Waters claiming there was “no violence” and accusing Mr. Trump of provocation.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom filed a lawsuit Monday and rushed to court Tuesday seeking an immediate restraining order, arguing that deploying military against American citizens is “unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy.” However, Judge Charles Breyer, a Clinton appointee, delayed the ruling until Thursday to allow the Trump administration time to respond.
Mr. Trump defended the deployment, claiming Los Angeles would be “burning” without intervention and comparing it to previous fires in the city. He threatened similar action in other cities disrupting immigration enforcement and warned he might invoke the Insurrection Act if chaos escalates. The president referred to protesters as “animals,” “paid insurrectionists” and “agitators.”
The political divide extends to Congress, where Republicans compare the protests to the Jan. 6 Capitol attack, questioning Democratic silence. However, Rep. Jimmy Gomez rejected this comparison, describing key differences between the events. Notably, Sen. John Fetterman broke with his party, calling the situation “anarchy and true chaos” and arguing Democrats lose moral authority by refusing to condemn violence.
Homeland Security has released arrest lists highlighting serious offenders including murderers and weapons offenders, though Sen. Alex Padilla called the arrests “indiscriminate.” Padilla suggested the deployment is intended to distract from Trump’s budget agenda, specifically his proposal in the Senate.
Read more: Judge rejects Gavin Newsom’s bid to immediately eject Trump’s troops from Los Angeles
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