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Former Vice President Kamala Harris on Sunday issued a forceful condemnation of President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to her home city, calling it a “dangerous escalation” and voicing strong support for immigrant rights protesters.
“Deploying the National Guard is a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos,” Harris wrote on X, formerly Twitter. “It is part of the Trump Administration’s cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division.”
Harris, a former California attorney general and U.S. senator from the state, said she was “appalled” by scenes unfolding on the streets of Los Angeles, where protests erupted following federal immigration raids and clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement.
She accused the Trump administration of using military force and immigration crackdowns to intimidate communitiesand silence dissent.
“This Administration’s actions are not about public safety — they’re about stoking fear. Fear of a community demanding dignity and due process,” she added.
Protesters “Overwhelmingly Peaceful,” Harris Says
Harris stressed the legitimacy and importance of the protests, saying the demonstrators — who rallied in opposition to ICE raids and federal immigration enforcement — have been “overwhelmingly peaceful.”
“Protest is a powerful tool – essential in the fight for justice,” she said. “I continue to support the millions of Americans who are standing up to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms.”
Her comments came as tensions mounted throughout Los Angeles over the weekend. On Saturday and Sunday, clashes broke out between protesters and federal agents near a Department of Homeland Security facility in Paramount, a heavily Latino city. Protesters hurled objects at Border Patrol vehicles while authorities responded with tear gas, pepper balls, and flash-bangs.
More than 100 people have been arrested in immigration enforcement actions across the Los Angeles area in recent days, and dozens more were taken into custody during demonstrations.
Trump Escalates, Democrats Push Back
President Trump, citing “insurrectionist mobs,” ordered the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles without the request or consent of Gov. Gavin Newsom. As of Sunday afternoon, about 300 Guard members had already arrived in the city.
“This is about law and order,” Trump said Saturday. “We will not allow violent mobs to overrun our cities.”
But the decision sparked a political firestorm, with all 23 Democratic governors issuing a joint statement condemning the unilateral federalization of the Guard.
“This move sets a dangerous precedent,” the governors warned, arguing that it undermines the authority of state leadership and erodes public trust.
A Familiar Flashpoint
This latest clash over protest response, immigration, and federal intervention echoes earlier controversies in Trump’s presidency, including his 2020 threats to invoke the Insurrection Act during Black Lives Matter protests. While he stopped short of invoking it this time, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton were on high alert.
Trump’s critics, including Harris, say the president is once again weaponizing federal power to distract from policy failures and scapegoat vulnerable communities, especially immigrants.
“This isn’t about safety — it’s about political theater,” Harris wrote. “We must stand united in the face of fear.”
As Los Angeles braces for further demonstrations, Harris’s message underscores growing Democratic resistance to what they see as federal overreach and abuse of executive power, with immigrant rights, civil liberties, and public trust hanging in the balance.
