President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard members to respond to immigration protests in Los Angeles, according to the Pentagon's chief spokesperson. The latest order brings the total number of Guard put on federal orders for the protests to more than 4,100.
The news comes hours after the Pentagon deployed about 700 Marines to the protests to work alongside local law enforcement.
The initial 2,100 National Guard members were expected to be on the ground in LA Monday evening, but it wasn't yet clear if they had all arrived.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta called the National Guard deployment "unlawful" and said it "trampled" on the state's sovereignty. Bonta sued the Trump administration Monday in response. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, told MSNBC that he also plans to file suit Monday against the Trump administration.
This appears to be the first time in decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor.
Trump has cited a legal provision that allows him to mobilize federal service members when there is "a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States."