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President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Saturday deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to Los Angeles, where protests against immigration enforcement operations have led to clashes with police and other acts of lawlessness. 

In a statement from the White House, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “In the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X that the Department of Defense is “mobilizing the National Guard IMMEDIATELY to support federal law enforcement in Los Angeles. And, if violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert.” 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom said early Saturday that the president’s move was “purposefully inflammatory” and would “only escalate tensions.”

Over the weekend, large protests have rocked Los Angeles, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is carrying out deportation operations. Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said hundreds of demonstrators have obstructed law enforcement by surrounding federal buildings, slashing tires, and assaulting ICE officials.