A federal judge in San Francisco has refused California’s urgent plea to immediately stop the Trump administration from using Marines and National Guard troops in immigration enforcement efforts, CNN reported.
Instead of issuing an instant ruling, Senior U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer set a court hearing for Thursday at 1:30 p.m. to consider the state’s request for a temporary restraining order. This order would prevent federal authorities from using military personnel for certain law enforcement duties.
California’s Request Faces Pushback
California had urged the judge to act without waiting for a formal response from the Trump administration. However, Judge Breyer decided to let both sides submit written arguments before making a decision, according to CNN.
In a brief court filing on Tuesday, the U.S. Justice Department dismissed California’s argument as “legally meritless.” It warned that if the court granted the request, it would “jeopardise the safety of Department of Homeland Security personnel and interfere with the Federal Government’s ability to carry out operations.”
Trump Defends Military Presence Amid Unrest
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump defended his decision to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles. He described the move as necessary to respond to the violent protests that erupted over ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) operations.
Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Trump said, “I just want to see peace. If there’s peace, we get out. If there’s even a chance of no peace, we stay there until there’s peace, and a lot of people are being arrested. The rioters or whatever you want to call them. They better know that a lot of people are being arrested. They’re going to be in jail for a long time.”
Later, during a speech at Fort Bragg in North Carolina, Trump described the situation in Los Angeles as, “A full-blown assault on peace, on public order, and national sovereignty.”
He sharply criticized the city, saying, “Within the span of a few decades, Los Angeles has gone from being one of the cleanest, safest and most beautiful cities on earth, to being a trash heap with entire neighbourhoods under the control of transnational gangs and criminal networks. As the entire world can now see, uncontrolled migration leads to chaos, dysfunction, and disorder… Very simply, we will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean, and safe again.”
Political Attacks and Law Enforcement Moves
Marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army, Trump also praised military personnel, “These guys are professionals. These are not amateurs,”
He added that he was working with U.S. Senators to pass a law that would sentence anyone who burns the American flag to one year in prison. Furthermore, Trump targeted California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, calling them, “Incompetent,” He accused them of funding “troublemakers, agitators, and insurrectionists” who took part in the protests, according to Al Jazeera.
ICE and National Guard Begin Joint Operations
On social media platform X (formerly Twitter), ICE posted images showing agents detaining individuals in Los Angeles. The officers appeared surrounded by National Guard troops, marking what could be the first confirmed images of Guard members directly assisting ICE in its operations.
Los Angeles Prepares for More Measures
In response to the growing unrest, Mayor Karen Bass said that a curfew may soon be announced for downtown Los Angeles.
She mentioned she would meet with the city’s police chief and added, “An announcement would be coming before nightfall, and it would go into effect.”
