LOS ANGELES (Diya TV) — Indian American Democrats are sharply criticizing President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles and escalate immigration enforcement actions, calling it an unconstitutional overreach and a threat to civil liberties.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris, whose home state is California, described the move as “a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos,” following a wave of aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across Southern California beginning June 6. “This Administration’s actions are not about public safety — they’re about stoking fear,” Harris said in a June 9 statement. “Fear of a community demanding dignity and due process.”
ICE, along with agents from the FBI, DEA, and ATF, conducted sweeping raids in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods, including the Fashion District and Boyle Heights. Federal officials confirmed that at least 44 individuals were detained on the first day. By June 7, protests erupted across Los Angeles, including outside the Metropolitan Detention Center and in areas such as Paramount and Compton. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bangs. Protesters targeted ICE facilities, blocked roads, and reportedly set several autonomous vehicles on fire.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Ranking Member of the House Subcommittee on Immigration, accused the Trump administration of using “militarized immigration actions” to suppress lawful dissent. “They arrested David Huerta, the President of SEIU California, who was peacefully protesting the raids,” she said. “This administration refuses to allow free speech or dissent in this country.” Jayapal also reported that members of Congress were denied access to detention centers in Los Angeles and Adelanto
President Trump signed a memorandum on June 7 authorizing the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops, bypassing Governor Gavin Newsom’s authority, marking the first federalization of a state’s National Guard without gubernatorial consent since 1965. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton were placed on “high alert.”
Governor Newsom condemned the move as “a serious breach of state sovereignty” and signaled plans to pursue legal action. “We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” he said. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also opposed the deployment, calling it unnecessary and inflammatory.
Rep. Ro Khanna (CA-17) framed the standoff as a “test of federalism.” He warned that Trump’s actions threaten the constitutional balance of power between state and federal governments. “California had control. Trump’s attempt to override Governor Newsom’s Guard authority defies the Constitution and the American principle of limited federal power,” he said.
Rep. Ami Bera (CA-06) criticized Trump for sidestepping local authorities. “There is no unmet need. This is not about restoring order. It is about inflaming tensions to justify crackdowns,” Bera said, urging restraint on both sides.
Rep. Shri Thanedar (MI-13) accused the administration of inciting unrest to deflect attention from domestic policy failures. “Trump has purposefully inflamed tensions to distract Americans from harmful cuts to healthcare and food assistance, designed to give tax breaks to the rich,” Thanedar said.
Civil rights groups, including the ACLU, announced plans to sue the federal government, arguing that the president’s actions constitute unconstitutional executive overreach.
While conservative leaders, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, defended the deployment as necessary to restore order, critics say it risks further escalation. A CBS News poll conducted before the raids showed that a slim majority of Americans supported stronger immigration enforcement, but views remain divided on federal intervention in state matters.
As protests continue and legal challenges mount, the debate over federal authority, civil rights, and immigration policy appears far from over, with Los Angeles now at the center of a national reckoning.
