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By Gabe Whisnant
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Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, President Donald Trump was asked if he would invoke the Insurrection Act to "deal with the situation in California?"
The president said in part, "If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We'll see," Trump said. "But I can tell you last night was terrible, and the night before that was terrible."
Trump said that some areas amid the ongoing Los Angeles immigration protests appeared to meet the threshold of an insurrection.
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Why It Matters
The Insurrection Act, one the most extreme emergency powers available, allows the president to use U.S. military forces domestically to quell unrest, rebellion, or enforce federal law under specific conditions.
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Though commonly called the "Insurrection Act of 1807," the law is actually a compilation of various statutes passed by Congress between 1792 and 1871.
What To Know
Trump continued to say Tuesday that California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, both Democrats, have lost control of the situation. But both Newsom and Bass have said state and local authorities could handle any disorder. They say that Trump's troop deployment has fueled even more unrest in the Los Angeles streets.
Trump said he spoke with Newsom on Monday, but the California governor denies that the phone call happened.
Amid the ongoing immigration protests, which at times have descended into riots and looting, the Pentagon deployed about 700 Marines to Los Angeles to join the National Guard's response after violence against law enforcement—specifically, ICE agents carrying out deportation raids in the city.
Gen. Eric Smith told senators during a budget hearing that the deployed Marines are trained in crowd control and equipped with shields and batons—not firearms—and have no authority to make arrests. Their role, he emphasized, is limited to protecting federal property and personnel.
Trump said Tuesday he isn't worried about things getting out of hand with the military on the ground in Los Angeles.
Asked if he was concerned, Trump said, "No, it's OK."
How long will National Guard troops will stay in Los Angeles?
"Until there's no danger," Trump said. "When there's no danger, they'll leave."
The move follows weeks of rapid-fire developments as President Trump pursues his top domestic priority for mass deportations.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said he is concerned that Trump will use the unrest in Los Angeles as a "pretext" for "imposing martial law."
Blumenthal is working on legislation to limit presidential powers for troop deployments inside the U.S., an issue he has raised before. He wants to overhaul the Insurrection Act of 1792, seeing it as too broad in scope.
"As Trump moves to expand military deployments, possibly using protests in L.A. as a pretext for more broadly silencing free speech or even imposing martial law, I'll be reintroducing reforms to the Insurrection Act that check potential abuse or overreach," Blumenthal posted to X, formerly Twitter, late Monday.
The Trump administration has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history and has conducted numerous U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, some of which have swept up people with proper documentation.
While the Los Angeles raids are following legal directive from federal authorities, protests erupted amid reports that detainees were being held in the basement of a federal building. ICE denied these allegations, with a spokesperson previously telling Newsweek the agency "categorically refutes the assertions made by immigration activists in Los Angeles."
The clashes highlight deepening conflicts between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration policy, as Trump has implemented sweeping changes through executive orders and utilized the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expand deportation authority.
What People Are Saying
Nicholas Creel, Assistant Professor of Business Law, Georgia College and State University, told Newsweek in a recent opinion article:"This crisis transcends partisan politics. The precedent being set is that presidents can deploy military forces domestically without proper legal authority, then threaten to arrest state officials who object. This fundamentally threatens both federalism and the rule of law. Today it's California and immigration; tomorrow it could be any state and any federal priority."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth suggested Tuesday that the use of troops in the United States will continue to expand:"I think we're entering another phase, especially under President Trump with his focus on the homeland, where the National Guard and Reserves become a critical component of how we secure that homeland."
What Happens Next
Amid the Los Angeles controversy, Trump is scheduled to speak Tuesday around 4 p.m. ET at Fort Bragg in honor of the U.S. Army's 250th anniversary. Fort Bragg, near Fayetteville, North Carolina, is home to elite units such as the Green Berets and the 82nd Airborne Division and serves as the headquarters of U.S. Army Special Operations Command.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll are expected to join Trump at the ceremony, along with service members, veterans, and their families.
Update: 6/10/25, 1:20 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 6/10/25, 1:27 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information and remarks.
Update: 6/10/25, 2:03 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with new information and remarks.
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