California officials seek court order to immediately block Trump's military deployment in LA

"The federal government is now turning the military against American citizens," California Governor Gavin Newsom said. "Sending trained warfighters onto the streets is unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy."

SACRAMENTO, the United States, June 10 (Xinhua) -- Top legal officials in the U.S. state of California moved to halt President Donald Trump's deployment of military forces in their communities, filing an emergency court motion on Tuesday that challenged the federal government's authority to use troops for local law enforcement.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom requested in the 28-page document that the federal court take immediate action to block Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and the U.S. Department of Defense from using military personnel and federalized California National Guard units to patrol communities and conduct law enforcement activities.

The officials argued the military deployment violated federal law, threatened state sovereignty, and escalated rather than reduces civil tensions.

"The President is looking for any pretense to place military forces on American streets to intimidate and quiet those who disagree with him," Bonta said in a statement released by the California Attorney General's office. "It's not just immoral - It's illegal and dangerous."

The emergency motion follows a lawsuit filed Monday by the same officials challenging Trump's order to federalize the California National Guard for 60 days under federal statute 10 U.S.C. § 12406.

Early Sunday morning, the U.S. Department of Defense redirected hundreds of National Guard troops from San Diego to Los Angeles without gubernatorial authorization and against the wishes of local law enforcement, according to the Attorney General's office.

As of Tuesday, the federal government has order to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops across California, plus an additional 700 Marines, to the second-largest city of the country.

"The federal government is now turning the military against American citizens," Newsom said, according to the Attorney General's statement. "Sending trained warfighters onto the streets is unprecedented and threatens the very core of our democracy."

The Californian officials contended that local law enforcement, not military forces, should handle civilian policing within state borders. They claimed the deployment deprives California of its own National Guard resources and creates "imminent harm" to state operations.

"Local law enforcement, not the military, enforce the law within our borders," Bonta said. "The President continues to inflame tensions and antagonize communities." ■