The Trump administration has doubled its decision to federate US troops by revitalizing around 2,000 additional National Guard forces in the Los Angeles area amid widespread immigrant crackdowns and protests, the U.S. Northern Command announced Tuesday.
The department said the Secretary of Defense has directed the activation based on Title 10, according to the US Northern Command.
The newly revitalized troops come from the 49th Army Police Brigade stationed in Fairfield, Northern California. They are part of Task Force 51, consisting of 4,100 National Guard members and 700 active-duty Marines.
“Like other units identified to support this mission, the brigade will not directly participate in civil law enforcement activities,” the Department of Defense said. “The 49th activation is intended to provide a sufficient number of forces to Task Force 51 to provide ongoing local compensation to support Lead Federal Agency.”
Governor Newsom’s office immediately denounced the announcement, saying the new revitalization is the second set of 2,000 Federal National Guard members based on Trump’s June 9 order.
“This is being cleaned from the Pentagon. This is not a new development. It’s the same group of soldiers who have been repurposed from critical wildfire work and border work, messing around with their thumbs for Donald Trump’s political theatre.
The announcement comes just hours after a panel of three judges heard debate about whether the Trump administration should return the National Guard command to California after thousands of people were revitalized in Los Angeles.
The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday appeared to be ready to maintain control of the California State Guard troops after it was deployed after a protest in Los Angeles over an immigrant attack.
Last week, the district court ordered Trump to regain control of the security guards from Democrat Gavin Newsom, who had opposed the development. US District Judge Charles Breyer said Trump illegally deployed security guards and exceeded his authority. However, the administration immediately appealed, and an appeal panel of three judges temporarily suspended the order.
Tuesday’s hearing was about whether the order could be enforced while the case passes through courts, including the Supreme Court.
It is the first time the president has revitalized the state’s National Guard without the governor’s permission since 1965, and the outcome of the incident could be wiped out by Trump’s power to send soldiers to other American cities. Trump announced on June 7 that he was deploying security guards in Los Angeles to protect federal property after protests at a downtown detention center after federal immigrant agents arrested dozens of immigrants without citywide legal status. Newsom said the president is only on fire in the situation and the military is not necessary.
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