Federal Troops in Los Angeles: Theatrics of Power, or a Constitutional Farce?

5 min read5 days ago

Welcome to Los Angeles, where the only thing thicker than the smog is the political bullshit. The president’s decided to play generalissimo, sending in 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines — because apparently, a bunch of people chanting outside an ICE office is now classified as an existential threat. You’d think we were under siege by an alien invasion, not a bunch of pissed-off citizens.

Remember 1992, when the city was actually burning and people were begging for help? Yeah, this isn’t that. This is 2025, and the president’s idea of a crisis is anyone who disagrees with him. So, cue the troops, the helicopters, and the overblown press conferences — because nothing says “law and order” like turning your own citizens into the enemy.

Let’s talk about the legal circus. The administration’s legal argument is based on some dusty old law called 10 U.S.C. § 12406 — a relic from the days when “rebellion” actually meant something. Now, according to Attorney General Jeffrey Clark, chanting protesters are basically the new Confederate Army. Give me a break. Even the White House isn’t dumb enough to invoke the Insurrection Act — because that would require a shred of legitimacy.

Then there’s the Posse Comitatus Act, which is supposed to keep the military out of civilian policing. But the administration’s new motto is, “If you say the Marines are just protecting federal property, you can do whatever the hell you want.” Retired General Joseph Anderson is right: if this is the new standard, next thing you know, we’ll have fighter jets patrolling Main Street.

California, of course, isn’t taking this lying down. They filed a lawsuit faster than you can say “overreach,” claiming the feds are hijacking their National Guard and trying to shut up protesters. The Supreme Court might have to decide if turning cities into military zones is the new normal. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson already asked the right question: “Unchecked militarization of civil dissent — is that really what we want?” Spoiler alert: it’s not.

History’s repeating itself, but with a twist. Watts in ’65 and Rodney King in ’92 had state consent for troops. The George Floyd protests in 2020 mostly had states calling the shots. But 2025? Federal troops without California’s say-so. That’s a new low, even for this administration.

Meanwhile, Texas Governor Greg Abbott is cheering on the federal overreach, because nothing unites Republicans like trampling on state rights — unless it’s their own state, of course. New York and Illinois, thankfully, are joining California’s lawsuit, because somebody’s got to keep the country from sliding into full-blown banana republic territory.

Pentagon officials are whispering that this domestic deployment is draining resources meant for actual threats.

So, what’s the bottom line? Can the president just turn any city into his personal playground? Former Defense Secretary James Mattis warned that when the military becomes a political tool, the republic is in peril. And right now, that warning sounds less like advice and more like a prophecy.

Stay tuned, folks. This circus isn’t packing up anytime soon.

Sidebar: Key Terms Explained (Because Someone Has to Keep Score)

Posse Comitatus Act: An 1878 law that’s supposed to keep the military out of civilian policing — when it’s actually followed.
Insurrection Act: Lets the president deploy troops during domestic chaos, but only if he’s got his paperwork straight.
Title 10 vs. Title 32: Title 10 is federal military; Title 32 is state National Guard. Guess which one the administration’s playing with?

Timeline of Events

June 5: ICE raids spark protests.
June 8: Trump orders troop deployment.
June 10: California files lawsuit.
June 12: First federal troops arrive.

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