Trump's Use of the National Guard Against LA Protesters Defies All Precedents

Strategic Insights -

President Donald Trump's decision to deploy 2,000 troops from California's national guard to quell protests in Los Angeles defies all historical precedents, according to experts. This move comes after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a significant increase in raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, which has led to several high-profile wrongful arrests of US citizens. The escalation of tensions has sparked intense protests in California, a Democratic stronghold and a "sanctuary state" where local law enforcement does not cooperate with ICE to detain illegal immigrants.

Key Takeaways:

  • The deployment of 2,000 troops from California's national guard is unprecedented, with the largest national guard unit in the United States at around 24,000 troops.
  • The Insurrection Act, passed in 1807, authorizes the president to call on the national guard in times of crisis or war to supplement state and local forces.
  • The law has been codified in title 10 of the US Code, but legal experts have long called for reform due to the language being too vague and open to misuse.
  • There are only two examples of presidents bypassing the authority of the state governor in deploying the guard, both of which were in response to segregationist states and the protection of civil rights.
  • The current situation in California is in stark contrast to past instances, with Governor Gavin Newsom denouncing Trump's decision as "an illegal act, an immoral act, an unconstitutional act".
  • The national guard has a complicated history of responding to civil unrest, and its deployment in this instance raises questions of legitimacy.
  • Trump's use of the national guard to protect ICE agents marks a departure from his predecessors, who mobilized the guard to protect civil rights against hostile police forces.
  • This move appears to be a calculated attempt to undermine a political opponent and subjugate California to the Trump administration.

Statistics:

  • The national guard in California has around 24,000 troops.
  • The LAPD has over 9,000 sworn officers.
  • The national guard has a long history of responding to civil unrest, with at least two instances of presidents bypassing state governors to deploy the guard.
  • The 1871 revision of the Insurrection Act specifically allowed for the national guard to be used in the protection of civil rights for black Americans.
  • Past instances of presidents deploying the national guard included Dwight D. Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, and Lyndon B. Johnson.

Sources:

  • Sinead McEneaney, Senior Lecturer in History, The Open University
  • The Conversation -- UK -- By Sinead McEneaney, Senior Lecturer in History, The Open University
  • Trump's use of the national guard against LA protesters defies all precedents -- https://theconversation.com/trumps-use-of-the-national-guard-against-la-protesters-defies-all-precedents-258486