Los Angeles has become the latest flashpoint for a national debate over immigration and federal power. President Donald Trump ordered 700 U.S. Marines and up to 4,000 National Guard troops into the city to protect federal properties amid mass protests sparked by recent immigration raids.
In response, California filed suit in San Francisco seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the troops from engaging in law enforcement activities and to return the National Guard to state control. The state argues Trump's actions are illegal under current law.
“If I didn’t act quickly, Los Angeles would be burning to the ground right now,” President Trump said, defending the rapid deployment as necessary to maintain order.
Experts warn the move risks deepening social and political divides in the U.S. Diao Daming, a professor at the School of International Studies at Renmin University, sees the protests as a direct reaction to intensified enforcement against undocumented immigrants. “This conflict reflects the broader partisan struggles that characterize American politics today,” he says.
Su Xiaohui, associate research fellow at the China Institute of International Studies, adds that the clash between federal and local authorities is heightening party polarization. Sun Taiyi, associate professor at Christopher Newport University, questions whether protests near local businesses qualify as federal facilities—an essential condition for deploying troops under U.S. law.
Despite assurances from local officials that the situation was under control, the administration pressed on—using the controversy to rally its base while sidelining discussions on issues like inflation fueled by tariff policies and sanctuary city protections. With court proceedings set for Thursday, the outcome could redefine federal-local dynamics and the unity of the nation.
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LA protests: Experts warn Trump's troop move may worsen U.S. divisions
cgtn.com
