Members of law enforcement stand guard as protests against federal immigration sweeps continue, in Los Angeles, California
Credit: Reuters Photo
California National Guard troops were deployed to the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday to help quell a third day of protests over President Donald Trump's immigration enforcement, as the state's Democratic governor called their deployment unlawful.
Federal law allows the president to deploy the Guard if the nation is invaded, if there is "rebellion or danger of rebellion," or the president is "unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States."
Let us take a look at times when presidents have called the National Guard in the past, or have federalised the militia:
Los Angeles, 2025
California National Guard troops were stationed around federal government buildings last week, as police and protesters clashed in separate demonstrations over federal immigration raids in Los Angeles.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said he requested the Trump administration withdraw its order to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles County, calling it unlawful.
Newsom accused Trump of trying to manufacture a crisis and violating California's state sovereignty. "These are the acts of a dictator, not a President," he wrote in a post on X.
The White House disputed Newsom's characterisation, saying in a statement that "everyone saw the chaos, violence and lawlessness."
US Northern Command said 300 members of the California National Guard had been deployed to three areas in the Los Angeles area. Their mission was limited to protecting federal personnel and property.
Los Angeles, 1992
In 1992, President George H W Bush had called National Guard troops when protests erupted in Los Angeles. The protests were carried after a jury acquitted police officials who beat Rodney King, a Black American taxi driver.
Many people lost their lives and thousands were injured during the protests which led the then-president to order National Guard troop deployment to curb the situation.
1967
During 1967 Detroit riot, presidents federalised the National Guard to support law enforcement agencies in response to civil unrest. As mentioned in a report by National Guard, The King Assassination Riots in 1968, the New York Postal Strike in 1970, and the Los Angeles Riots in 1992 were the last incidents in which a president federalised the National Guard for civil disturbance operations.
1861
In April of 1861, President Abraham Lincoln had called the militia. A force of 75,000 men, the militia was called to "suppress the southern slaveholders' rebellion, known as the Confederacy," as mentioned in the National Guard Bureau.
Between 1867 and 1957, no president federalised the militia, the report stated.
Western Pennsylvania, 1794
Protests erupted in 1794 in western Pennsylvania over the "whiskey tax". This was when George Washington was the president.
"Whiskey tax" was imposed to "generate revenue to pay war debt", but farmers opposed it. In 1794, farmers protested against the tax imposition and called it "unfair".
President Washington had then "called upon state militia and volunteer units to suppress" the Whiskey Insurrection, as reported by The Washington Post.
(With Reuters inputs)