US president Donald Trump can keep his deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles, according to a court ruling, as protests against immigration raids look set to enter their second week in the strongest backlash since his return to power in January.
Mr Trump on Friday welcomed the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals’ decision that had temporarily paused a lower-court ruling that blocked the mobilisation. However, the appeal court’s decision does not mean that the court will ultimately agree to side with him.
“We saved LA. Thank you for the Decision!!!” Mr Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Earlier on Thursday, San Francisco-based US district judge Charles Breyer found that Mr Trump’s deployment of the National Guard was unlawful. Mr Breyer ordered the National Guard to return to the control of California governor Gavin Newsom, who had brought the case.
[ Is it legal for Trump to use US troops to suppress protests?Opens in new window ]
It was a short-lived victory for Mr Newsom, as judge Breyer’s order was paused about two and a half hours later.
Asked for a comment, Mr Newsom’s press office referred to the governor’s statement after the initial ruling, and noted that the appeals court put a temporary pause on the ruling but did not reverse it.
Cities across the United States were bracing for more demonstrations, especially on Saturday, when those also opposed to a weekend military parade in Washington marking the US Army’s 250th anniversary are expected to take to the streets.
“They’ve defied our courts, deported Americans, disappeared people off the streets, attacked our civil rights, and slashed our services,” the group No Kings, which is behind the day of action, wrote on its website.
A battalion of 700 US Marines was expected to arrive on Friday in Los Angeles, marking an extraordinary use of military forces to support civilian police operations within the United States.
Troops have stood guard at a federal detention centre in the city’s downtown area where many of the protests have taken place in a show of solidarity for immigrants detained inside.
The protests so far have been mostly peaceful, punctuated by incidents of violence, and restricted to a few city blocks.
Demonstrations have also taken place in other US cities this week including New York and Chicago.
The guard had also accompanied Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) agents on operations to detain immigrants.
Democratic leaders in California have strongly opposed the increase in immigration enforcement since it began last Friday.
“Peace begins with Ice leaving Los Angeles,” mayor Karen Bass, who has imposed a night-time curfew in more than 2.5 sq km of downtown Los Angeles, said.
Mr Trump is carrying out a campaign promise to deport immigrants, employing forceful tactics consistent with the norm-breaking political style that got him elected twice.
Democrats have said that the use of military force was unnecessary and an example of Mr Trump’s authoritarianism.
Americans are divided over Mr Trump’s decision to activate the military. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday showed that 48 per cent of respondents agreed with a statement that the president should “deploy the military to bring order to the streets” when protests turned violent, while 41 per cent disagreed. – Reuters
