Judge hears California governor's challenge on Trump's military deployment in Los Angeles
A federal judge heard arguments Thursday on California Gov. Gavin Newsom's lawsuit against President Donald Trump, aiming to block the National Guard and Marines deployed to Los Angeles from assisting with immigration raids.
In the lawsuit, California's governor argues that the presence of the National Guard and Marines escalates the situation and seeks to prevent them from engaging in general law enforcement activity. The Trump administration has labeled the lawsuit a "political stunt endangering American lives," asserting that the troops are protecting law enforcement, not engaging it.
Democratic governors are closely watching the developments in California and have criticized Trump's military deployment in Los Angeles, while the president insists the city would "be on fire" without their presence.
In separate hearings, governors from New York, Illinois, and Minnesota weighed in as Republicans questioned them on their immigration policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
"We expect the federal government to follow the law, too. We will not participate in abuses of power. We will not violate court orders. We will not ignore the Constitution. We will not defy the Supreme Court. We will not take away people's rights to peacefully protest," said Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to say whether he would abide by the court's ruling if it limits the military's role.
"What I can say is we should not have local judges determining foreign policy or national security policy for the country," said Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. When asked by Rep. Ro Khanna of California if he would respect those decisions, Hegseth reiterated, "What I'm saying is local district judges shouldn't make foreign policy for the United States."
As this unfolds, Trump has issued a new warning, stating that anyone who assaults ICE or border agents will "do hard time in jail."