'Trump putting fuel on fire, will take him to court': California Gov Newsom to sue Trump admin over National Guard deployment

California Governor Gavin Newsom has announced legal action against the Trump administration after the US president deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles without the state’s approval.

“Donald Trump is putting fuel on this fire. Commandeering a state’s National Guard without consulting the Governor of that state is illegal and immoral,” Newsom posted on X on Sunday. “California will be taking him to court,” he added.

In a follow-up post on Monday morning, Newsom doubled down, “President Trump illegally acted to federalise the National Guard… we’re suing him.”

LA unrest escalates after immigration crackdown

The deployment came after protests erupted across Los Angeles in response to large-scale immigration enforcement raids on Friday. The weekend demonstrations turned tense, with confrontations between law enforcement and protesters.

Governor Newsom accused Trump of creating a crisis. “Donald Trump has manufactured a crisis and is inflaming conditions. If he can’t solve it, we will. To the bad actors fueling Trump’s flames, California will hold you accountable,” he wrote on social media.

Trump blames California leaders for chaos

President Trump responded by attacking Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, blaming them for failing to handle the unrest.

“Governor Gavin Newsom and ‘Mayor’ Bass should apologise to the people of Los Angeles for the horrible job that they have done, and this now includes the ongoing L.A. riots,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “These are not protesters, they are troublemakers and insurrectionists. Remember, NO MASKS!”

Amid the tensions, Trump’s former immigration czar Tom Homan appeared to suggest that state leaders like Newsom or Bass could face arrest if they interfered with federal law enforcement.

Homan later clarified his earlier remarks, saying: “If you cross the line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbour and conceal illegal aliens… If [Mayor Bass] crossed that line, we’ll ask DOJ to prosecute.”

Although he added that he didn’t believe Bass had done so yet, he maintained that “no one is above the law”.

Newsom fires back: ‘Come arrest me’

In a sharp response, Newsom challenged Homan directly.

“He’s a tough guy. Why doesn’t he do that? He knows where to find me,” Newsom said. Addressing Homan, he added, “Lay your hands off four-year-old girls who are trying to get an education … Come after me. Arrest me. Let’s just get it over with, tough guy.”

Why are people protesting in Los Angeles?

The protests in LA began on 6 June, following a series of immigration raids conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in multiple parts of the city. These raids were part of the Trump administration’s wider crackdown on undocumented immigrants, which has sparked anger and concern among local communities and civil rights groups.