LA lifts curfew but warns of possible new restrictions as Trump defies court order to keep control of California troops

LOS ANGELES, June 18 — Tensions appeared to ease in protest-stricken Los Angeles yesterday as Mayor Karen Bass lifted the city’s nighttime curfew. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump continued his legal fight to retain control over the California National Guard troops he deployed to the city.

Parts of Los Angeles had been under curfew from 8pm to 6am for the past week following incidents of looting and vandalism during protests against Trump’s immigration raids.

Mayor Bass said the curfew had been “largely successful in protecting stores, restaurants, businesses, and residential communities from bad actors who do not care about the immigrant community.” She added that she was ready to reinstate it if necessary, as the city continues to respond to the “chaos coming from Washington.”

Trump’s decision to send 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles has drawn sharp criticism from California leaders, who accuse him of escalating tensions. Normally, the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom, would oversee such deployments, but Trump bypassed him.

A judge ruled last Thursday that Trump’s move was “illegal” and ordered the return of control to Governor Newsom. However, that ruling was put on hold after the Trump administration appealed, calling the judge’s decision an “extraordinary intrusion” on the President’s constitutional powers as Commander in Chief.

During a hearing on Tuesday, the Justice Department argued that federal control over the Guard was necessary to protect immigration officers carrying out arrests amid public unrest. Trump’s lawyers claimed that local authorities were either unwilling or unable to safeguard federal personnel and property.

California officials disputed that, pointing out that law enforcement in Los Angeles had already made about 1,000 arrests. Attorney Samuel Harbourt, representin Newsom, questioned whether the situation justified such an “extreme measure” as deploying military forces and urged the court to reinstate the judge’s original ruling.

Harbourt argued that allowing Trump to maintain control of the Guard undermines the nation’s democratic principle of separating the military from civilian affairs. He warned that the decision could set a dangerous precedent for future presidents.

National Guard troops, wearing fatigues and equipped with helmets and riot shields, have been positioned outside federal buildings in Los Angeles. Although they are prohibited from arresting civilians, some have reportedly used tear gas and non-lethal rounds to disperse protesters.

This marks the first time since 1965 that a U.S. president has deployed the National Guard to a state without the governor’s consent.

Trump, however, has remained defiant, claiming credit for restoring order in Los Angeles and accusing Newsom — a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate — of having “totally lost control.”

The legal standoff reflects broader clashes over Trump’s efforts to expand presidential power, and this case—his first involving the use of troops—may ultimately reach the Supreme Court, which currently has a 6-3 conservative majority.

Protests continue in Los Angeles and beyond, fueled by public outrage over Trump’s immigration raids and the use of heavily armed, masked agents to arrest undocumented migrants. Similar demonstrations have erupted in cities like San Francisco, New York, Chicago, and San Antonio. — AFP