The conflict between California and the federal government has reached a new level of escalation. Governor Gavin Newsom filed an emergency motion in federal court Tuesday evening to halt the deployment of National Guard members and Marines in Los Angeles. The accusation: President Donald Trump is attempting to actively involve the U.S. military in immigration enforcement operations.
"Trump is turning the U.S. military against American citizens," Newsom stated on X - an accusation that, in a functioning democracy, would have once seemed unthinkable. In fact, Trump initially sent around 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to Los Angeles - officially to protect federal buildings and support security personnel. But according to Newsom’s motion, those deployment orders have since been altered. The emergency filing specifically addresses this change: the Department of Defense has signaled that the National Guard will now actively participate in immigration operations - including securing ICE raids, posting soldiers at intersections, and cordoning off entire neighborhoods during planned arrests.
A sworn declaration from Paul Eck, deputy general counsel of the California Military Department, is included with the filing. It states that the California government has been informed that the new deployment order is imminent - or possibly already in effect. Newsom's office could not confirm whether the troops have already begun this new mission. It also remains unclear how California was made aware of the change.
The original order stated that the troops were to protect federal properties only. Now, however, they appear to be directly supporting immigration officers during raids - a dangerous precedent for the domestic deployment of military forces against civilians.
As early as Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta had filed a separate lawsuit against Trump’s initial National Guard deployment. His reasoning: the president had "trampled" the sovereignty of the state of California. Now Newsom is following up - using legal instruments aimed directly at the core of the U.S. Constitution: the separation of powers.
At the same time, public debate is increasingly dominated by one question - what is the cost of this operation? After repeated questioning in Congress, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was forced to respond Tuesday. He deferred to acting Pentagon comptroller Bryn Woollacott MacDonnell, who named a figure - 134 million dollars. This amount will be drawn from the U.S. military’s operations and maintenance budget to finance the deployment in California.
On the ground, the situation remains tense - but largely peaceful. On Monday, thousands gathered for a major rally in front of Los Angeles City Hall. Hundreds more protested peacefully outside a federal complex that includes a detention center. Many migrants currently held there were arrested during workplace raids across the city.
Newsom’s motion is not symbolic - it represents an institutional reflex of defense against an executive branch that is cracking down with increasing severity. Trump’s strategy is no longer just targeting migrants, but the system itself - federal rights, judicial independence, and the separation of internal security and military force.
On June 14 - the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army’s founding and also Trump’s 79th birthday - nationwide protests are expected. Preparations are underway in California, New York, Texas, and D.C. The questions looming over all of this carry constitutional weight - can a president deploy military forces for domestic immigration enforcement? And if not - who will stop him?
Gavin Newsom has given his answer. In court. Under pressure. Against a government that reaches for soldiers when it can no longer succeed with laws.
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