Pentagon deploys 2,000 additional National Guard troops to protect federal property amid continued violence and looting
Attorney calls out Gavin Newsom for 'politicizing' Trump's National Guard move: 'Waste of court resources'
Attorney Mehek Cooke on President Donald Trump's authority to activate National Guard troops to mitigate chaos in Los Angeles and a judge extending a block on Trump's Harvard international student ban.
The Department of Defense is sending thousands more National Guard troops to protect federal property amid anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) riots in Los Angeles.
"By direction of the Secretary of Defense and in coordination with U.S. Northern Command, 2,000 additional California Army National Guard soldiers have been activated in a Title 10 status to support the protection of federal functions, personnel, and property in the greater Los Angeles area," according to a Tuesday release from U.S. Northern Command.
The release says that the 49th Military Police Brigade will be sent to serve alongside the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat team and the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, under the direction of Task Force 51, which is commanded by Maj. Gen. Scott M. Sherman.
Demonstrators holding signs and flags face California National Guard members standing guard outside the Federal Building as they protest in response to federal immigration operations in Los Angeles on June 9, 2025. (APU GOMES/AFP via Getty Images)
HEGSETH DEFENDS NATIONAL GUARD LA DEPLOYMENTS, SAYS ICE AGENTS MUST BE PROTECTED
The task force, which has been the subject of controversy since it was deployed to the West Coast city after an eruption of violence stemming from immigration operations carried out by ICE, will now be comprised of 4,100 National Guardsmen and 700 active duty Marines.
Gov. Gavin Newsom last week sued the Trump administration for deploying troops to California in the first place, accusing the president of having "commandeered" 2,000 of the state’s National Guard members "illegally, for no reason" without consulting with California’s law enforcement leaders.
"The INCOMPETENT Governor of California was unable to provide protection in a timely manner when our Ice Officers, GREAT Patriots they are, were attacked by an out of control mob of agitators, troublemakers, and/or insurrectionists," Trump said on TRUTH Social in response to the lawsuit. "MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!
Gov. Gavin Newsom, left, and President Donald Trump have clashed over the National Guard's role in the Los Angeles riots. (Getty Images)
On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled in favor of Newsom.
An appellate court is currently reviewing the matter.
Northern Command said that the troops will not be used in a civilian law enforcement capacity, but rather they will "provide Task Force 51 with adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the lead federal agency."
"The soldiers are completing training on de-escalation, crowd control, and use of the standing rules for the use of force in advance of joining the federal protection mission," the release said.
Demonstrators protest outside a downtown jail in Los Angeles following two days of clashes with police during a series of immigration raids on June 8, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
About two weeks ago, riots erupted in Paramount, California, just south of Los Angeles, after ICE conducted immigration sweeps in the city. Those riots quickly spread north, leading to several nights of showdowns between law enforcement and unruly bad actors.
Stores in downtown Los Angeles were broken into and looted, and much of the downtown area was vandalized with anti-ICE and anti-Trump graffiti.
Several "Kill Trump" messages were graffitied in the city's downtown. The U.S. Secret Service told Fox News Digital last week it was "aware" of the threatening messages.
A rioter waves a Mexican national flag next to a car on fire during a protest following federal immigration operations, in the Compton neighborhood of Los Angeles on June 7, 2025. (Getty Images)
Meanwhile, violent behavior continues to flare up.
A mob of 100 looters ransacked an AutoZone in southern Los Angeles early Monday morning, resulting in the reported loss of $67,000 in merchandise.
Detectives are investigating whether the looting episode is related to a "street takeover."
Fox News Digital reached out to Newsom's office for comment.
Fox News' Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.
Peter D'Abrosca joined Fox News Digital in 2025 after four years as a politics reporter at The Tennessee Star.
He grew up in Rhode Island and is a graduate of Elon University.
Follow Peter on X at @pmd_reports. Send story tips to
