Donald Trump deploys military to California amid protests against his immigration policy

Denouncing the ongoing "anarchy" in the megalopolis of the powerful Democratic state, the Republican president ordered on Saturday evening the deployment of 2,000 members of this armed reserve force, mainly mobilized during natural disasters.

A decision described as "deliberately inflammatory" by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who warned that it would "only exacerbate tensions."

Soldiers armed with automatic rifles were seen early Sunday near City Hall, according to ABC, with further rallies planned to begin at 2 p.m. local time (9 p.m. GMT).

The deployment comes after two days of protests marked by clashes and violence in a suburban Los Angeles city with a predominantly Hispanic population, as residents opposed the military arrests of immigrants carried out by the federal immigration police, ICE.

"We must defend our people," a woman, herself the daughter of immigrants, told AFP, declining to give her name.

"Injustice"

Donald Trump has made the fight against illegal immigration a top priority, referring to an "invasion" of the United States by "criminals from abroad" and speaking extensively about the arrests and deportations of immigrants.

Carried out in the streets, shops and even in the country's courts, these attacks have plunged millions of immigrants without legal status into terror.

In Los Angeles, major arrest operations were carried out on Friday by ICE agents, sometimes in civilian clothes, leading to tense scenes and the first demonstrations, according to the local press.

The following day, members of the same police force gathered near a DIY store, where undocumented workers traditionally come to offer their services for the day, leading to further demonstrations and violent clashes between the police and the public.

Protesters threw objects at police vehicles and attempted to prevent a bus from leaving the scene, while officers used tear gas and stun grenades.

The police raids are "an injustice," and those arrested are "human beings like any other," Fernando Delgado, 24, a resident, told AFP.

Arm wrestling

The situation was, however, "under control" by the evening, California Democratic congresswoman Nanette Barragan assured CNN on Sunday, citing comments from the local sheriff.

While condemning the violence, she stressed the need to allow residents to express their anger at the Republican president's immigration policy and expressed concern that the deployment of the National Guard would aggravate the situation.

Unilaterally decided by the White House, which described California's Democratic leaders as "incapable," this deployment reinforces the standoff between the federal government and the state of California.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth even threatened to call in the regular army based nearby.

A symbolic statement, according to law professor Jessica Levinson, noting that the commitment of American military personnel on national territory is legally very limited in the absence of an insurrection. "As for the National Guard, it will be able to do nothing more than provide logistical and personnel support," she specifies.

On Sunday, President Trump praised the Guard's "fantastic work" on his Truth Social network, even though its members had not yet been deployed to the Californian megalopolis, according to local authorities.