Trump backs arrest of California governor suing over Guard deployment to Los Angeles protests

LOS ANGELES: President Donald Trump said on Monday he would support the arrest of California’s Gavin Newsom, in a dramatic escalation of a growing conflict with the Democratic governor over immigration protests that roiled Los Angeles over the weekend.

The Republican president’s remarks came after Newsom vowed to sue the federal government over the deployment of National Guard troops to Southern California, calling it an illegal act. As Los Angeles faced a fourth day of protests over immigration raids in the city, Democrats and Republicans clashed over what has become the biggest flashpoint in the Trump administration’s aggressive efforts to deport migrants living in the country illegally.

“This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted. He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard,” Newsom, who is viewed as a potential Democratic presidential contender in 2028, said on X. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said in a release that his office had sued. Reuters could not immediately confirm that a lawsuit had been filed.

Federal law allows the president to deploy the Guard if the nation is invaded, if there is “rebellion or danger of rebellion,” or the president is “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”

Returning to the White House after a night at Camp David, Trump was asked by a reporter whether his border czar, Tom Homan, should arrest Newsom. Homan has threatened to arrest anyone who obstructs immigration enforcement efforts, including the governor.

“I would do it if I were Tom. I think it’s great,” Trump replied. “Gavin likes the publicity, but I think it would be a great thing.” Newsom on X called the arrest threat an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism.”

The US military is set to temporarily deploy about 700 Marines to Los Angeles while additional National Guard troops arrive in the city, a US official told Reuters on Monday. The official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said a battalion would be sent, but for now, the Insurrection Act is not expected to be invoked. The official added that the situation was fluid and could change.