California Sues to Block Trump’s Troop Deployment to Los Angeles
California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced that the state has filed for a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block President Donald Trump’s deployment of over 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles, calling the action unlawful, unnecessary, and politically motivated.
Speaking in an interview Tuesday, Bonta explained that the legal action was filed in the Northern District of California, following a lawsuit initiated earlier this week. “We argue that the president does not have any legal basis for deploying the National Guard or Marines into Los Angeles,” Bonta said. “The law requires the governor’s consent—and not only did Governor Newsom not consent, he strenuously objected.”
The federal statute cited by the Trump administration requires either an invasion, a rebellion, or the inability of federal forces to enforce the law for such a deployment to be valid. Bonta argued that none of those conditions are present in California.
“There is no invasion, no rebellion, no breakdown in law enforcement,” Bonta stated. “This is not a close case. The facts simply don’t support what the administration is trying to claim.”
According to Bonta, if granted, the TRO could take effect within hours or days, depending on the urgency seen by the court. “Temporary restraining orders are designed to prevent irreparable harm. Given the stakes, we expect a swift ruling.”
Critics of the deployment, including state leaders, say the move appears to be a political distraction from a series of damaging headlines for the Trump administration, including tensions with Elon Musk and mounting opposition to a federal budget plan that slashes social programs while raising the national deficit.
“There’s a pattern here,” Bonta said. “When faced with bad coverage, the president manufactures a crisis to change the narrative. This time, he’s targeting California—and specifically Los Angeles, a city and state that overwhelmingly rejected him in the last election.”
The attorney general also blasted the logistical and humanitarian shortcomings of the deployment, citing images of National Guard troops sleeping on the floor in inadequate conditions. “It’s disrespectful,” he said. “These service members were pulled away from critical duties—fighting wildfires, securing the border, protecting communities—to be used as political props.”
In recent days, right-wing media figures and some Trump allies have suggested the possibility of arresting California officials such as Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. Bonta dismissed those threats as both “silly” and “dangerous.”
“It’s reckless for the president of the United States to threaten to arrest his political opponents simply for disagreeing with him,” Bonta said. “That is undemocratic and un-American.”
He pointed to a broader trend of arrests targeting Democratic officials and staffers across the country, including in Wisconsin, New Jersey, New York, and California. “They are clearly using federal power to intimidate and silence opposition,” he said.
Finally, Bonta delivered a direct message to California’s immigrant communities—many of whom are now afraid to leave their homes or attend public events out of fear of federal enforcement.
“You belong here. You have rights. California sees you and will protect you,” he said. “We are a state of immigrants, and we will defend our residents from unlawful and inhumane federal actions.”
This latest legal action marks the 25th lawsuit California has filed against the Trump administration in just 20 weeks, underscoring what Bonta describes as the administration’s “brazen and frequent violations of the law.”
“This is about protecting California, defending our democracy, and upholding the rule of law,” Bonta said. “And we’re confident the courts will side with us.”
Arrest Threats Against Newsom and Bass
Perhaps most alarmingly, several high-profile Trump allies have floated the idea of arresting California officials, including Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass, for “obstructing federal law enforcement.” Bonta dismissed the idea as both absurd and chilling.
