Apparently, President Donald Trump is far from done terrorizing the communities of Los Angeles.
The Trump administration announced Tuesday night that it will activate an additional 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles. Despite the downtown curfew being lifted as life seems to return to normal, Trump clearly thinks that more troops are needed to flood the Democratic city.
According to a military spokesperson, the now 4,100 National Guard and 700 Marines are in Los Angeles to protect government property and “support federal functions,” possibly referring to the extensive ICE raids that prompted protests in the first place.
Over the past month, ICE agents have raided the sanctuary city—including taco stands, Home Depots, private homes, and workplaces—wearing masks and driving unmarked vehicles as they scoop up undocumented immigrants.
And while the raids are still ongoing, a military statement says that the troops are also in Los Angeles for another reason.
“The soldiers are completing training on de-escalation, crowd control, and use of the standing rules for the use of force in advance of joining the federal protection mission,” the statement said.
But if you ask California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office, the additional troops are just sitting around doing nothing.
“This isn’t a new deployment—it’s the same group of soldiers who have been diverted from critical wildfire work and work at the border, now twiddling their thumbs for Donald Trump’s political theater,” Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson from Newsom’s office, said.
A legal battle has been going on ever since Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles on June 9. Last week, a judge ruled that Trump’s deployment was illegal and that he must return control back to the state.
Soon after, though, the ruling was sent to an appeals court that seems likely to return power to Trump.
A final decision is expected in the coming days, which could set the precedent moving forward regarding the president’s ability to deploy military troops on U.S. soil without states’ consent.