California sues Trump, calling National Guard deployment unconstitutional and immoral

Geoff Bennett:

Welcome to the "News Hour."

Protests again immigration raids in Los Angeles entered their fourth day after a chaotic weekend. President Trump deployed the National Guard to put down demonstrations, over the objections of state and local officials. And late today, 700 active-duty U.S. Marines have also been deployed. They're expected to arrive in the next 24 hours.

Law enforcement has made dozens of arrests. And the events are sparking a debate about state versus federal authority.

Lisa Desjardins starts our coverage.

Lisa Desjardins :

Today in parts of Los Angeles, cleanup, a forced calm, and in one part a crowd of protesters outside the facility holding union leader David Huerta charged with obstructing police during an ICE raid last week, this after a tumultuous weekend when thousands of people flooded the downtown.

Some blocked off a major highway, set fire to driverless cars and threw rocks at police officers, while police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, flashbangs and arrests. L.A. police have declared all of downtown an unlawful assembly area. And the debate over the response rages.

Donald Trump, President of the United States: Some of the things you're reading about in Los Angeles, thank goodness we sent out some wonderful National Guard.

Lisa Desjardins :

At the White House today, Trump pointed without proof at what he called paid agitators and insurrectionists. And multiple outlets report Trump is going further, temporarily deploying active-duty troops, Marines, to Los Angeles without invoking the Insurrection Act that other presidents have cited for such a rare move. That would be an unprecedented step.

As a result, California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom faces two tests, protecting his largest city from upheaval and confronting Trump. Today, California sued the president, calling the National Guard order unconstitutional and immoral. Trump has said he is open to arresting Newsom.

Last night, the governor responded.

Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA):

Come after me. Arrest me. Let's just get it over with.

Lisa Desjardins :

For his part, President Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, said there's no plan to arrest Newsom. He defended federal actions.

Tom Homan, White House Border Czar:

The men and women of ICE, the men and women of the Border Patrol made L.A. safer that day, but you're not hearing any of this. All you hear is a rhetoric about ICE being racists and ICE being Nazis and terrorists. And Governor Newsom some feeds that.

Lisa Desjardins :

This all was sparked Friday after a series of immigration raids by federal agents clad in camouflage as part of President Trump's mass deportation campaign.

Protesters surrounded a federal detention facility in downtown L.A., where police clashed with them. On Saturday, more protests erupted in L.A., spreading to the towns of Paramount and Compton, amid reports of immigration raids there. That was the day Trump ordered the National Guard deployment.

Also Saturday, the FBI said an officer was hit by a rock. They are still searching for the suspect. At the same time, video showed vast groups of nonviolent protesters, some practicing civil disobedience, like these Sunday afternoon, who marched onto a portion of the highway, stopping traffic.

Protester:

This is us saying you can't do this. We won't let you separate children from their families. And we're going to fight back.

Lisa Desjardins :

Police in L.A. eventually forced protesters off the highway, but things were no longer peaceful, driverless cars set aflame and people threw rocks at patrol cars. Officers took shelter underneath an overpass. Others in the crowd also shot fireworks. Police fired flashbangs.

Last night, L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell condemned the violence.

Jim McDonnell, Los Angeles, California, Police Chief:

This violence that I have seen is disgusting. It's escalated now since the beginning of this incident. What we saw the first night was bad. What we have seen subsequent to that is getting increasingly worse and more violent. Tonight, we had individuals out there shooting commercial-grade fireworks at our officers. That can kill you.

Lisa Desjardins :

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed President Trump for escalating the situation.

Karen Bass (D), Mayor of Los Angeles, California: What we're seeing in L.A. is chaos caused by the administration. People should exercise their right to protest. That's their First Amendment right. But people should also exercise that right peacefully. We do not want to play into the administration's hands.

Lisa Desjardins :

Trump's National Guard order means Newsom cannot use the troops for law enforcement.

Rachel VanLandingham is a retired Air Force officer and former chief of international law at U.S. Central Command. She says this is unprecedented.

Lt. Col. Rachel Vanlandingham (RET.), Southwestern Law School: We have had the president federalize National Guard troops before and put them under the command and control of the president. But typically it's been done at the request of governors. Governors normally command their own National Guard troops.

Lisa Desjardins :

In all, more than 1,000 National Guard members are deployed in Los Angeles so far. VanLandingham says the law here favors the president.

Lt. Col. Rachel Vanlandingham (RET.):

The bigger legal basis of the statute, I think, is clearly within the president's discretion, except for the context of it being the orders did not flow through the governor.

Lisa Desjardins :

In the meantime, federal officials say they have no plans to stop immigration raids in the Los Angeles area this week, with the National Guard standing by.

For the "PBS News Hour," I'm Lisa Desjardins.