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Laura Coates Live
Protests Against Trump's ICE Raids Continue. Aired 11p-12a ET
Aired June 10, 2025 - 23:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[23:00:00]
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LAURA COATES, CNN HOST AND SENIOR LEGAL ANALYST: Well, good evening. I'm Laura Coates. It's 8 p.m. on the West Coast where a curfew is officially now in effect for parts of Downtown Los Angeles. The mayor announcing the curfew after a fifth day of unrest, and it covers a 1 square mile area and lasts until 6 a.m. Pacific Time. And the police chief says anyone nonexempt who violates that curfew will be arrested.
This is all unfolding after President Trump mobilized thousands of National Guard troops along with 700 Marines to put an end to the protests against his immigration raids. State officials say that's only making the situation worse. California Governor Gavin Newsom called out Trump just a short time ago.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
GOV. GAVIN NEWSOM (D-CA): Donald Trump, without consulting California law enforcement leaders, commandeered 2,000 of our state's National Guard members to deploy on our streets illegally and for no reason. This brazen abuse of power by a sitting president inflamed a combustible situation.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
COATES: Now, the anger is spilling far beyond Los Angeles. Thousands of anti-ICE demonstrators have been marching in New York City all the way across the country, and also protests have been also out in Chicago.
CNN's Nick Watt is live in L.A. right now. This effect -- this curfew is in effect. Nick, set the scene for us. Are people leaving? I see they're not. And the curfew is now in effect.
NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: People are not leaving, Laura. But you can see the California Highway Patrol and the LAPD ready to move in. Just police cars all across that bridge that goes over the freeway. That right there is the federal detention facility that has been the focus of so much of these protests.
It does not look like people are going anywhere. We've heard the first dispersal orders on the bull horns. I also just saw a guy with MAGA on the back of his jacket. But it's not what you think. It's Mexicans Ain't Going Anywhere. So, these people do not look like they're going anywhere.
There is a mile -- square mile that is now under curfew. People are -- have been told they will be arrested if they stay here. Plenty of people are still staying here. They're defiantly staying here, as you can hear.
So, we are just going to have to sit and see what happens here. We as media are exempt from this curfew. We are allowed to be here. Now, we have seen for the past half hour or so outside this federal building, a line of national guardsmen, a line of DHS officers, and the protesters right up in their face, telling them things like the Nazis said, they were just following orders. It has been tense. It will probably get more tense as the police do eventually move in to try to disperse this crowd.
There are definitely people here who feel strongly about this cause. There are also people, I can tell you, who are here to cause trouble. They have been told by the mayor, by the governor, that if they vandalize, if they cause violence, people will be arrested and held fully accountable. Back to you.
COATES: Nick, not just vandalism or graffiti or otherwise restructuring property. Just the presence of people in that 1 square mile area could be enough for them to be arrested. Is anyone confronting the officers or asking or taunting or provoking them in some way, or is everyone in a wait and see mode?
WATT: No, they are not provoking them right now. There are even some people wearing dog collars, who've been standing up next to the police.
Now, this afternoon, outside the dissension facility, when a bus came in, people from the crowd were throwing water bottles. That's what sparked the violence this afternoon.
That led to the authorities basically dispersing that crowd. They pushed people off that street. They arrested nearly 200 people here today. A lot of them here, a bunch of them for closing this freeway at one point. So, after they moved the protesters away from the detention center, a bunch of them managed to get on to the freeway and closed down the freeway. More than 60 of them were arrested.
Listen, up until about 2:30 this afternoon, this was peaceful. People were singing songs. It was tense, but people were singing songs.
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After that incident this afternoon, the protesters have been on the move. They've been outside this building. They can't get to the detention facility.
And the atmosphere on the streets right now getting more tense. As we see, these officers with zip ties, batons in their hands, riot helmets on, ready to move in. They clearly have not been given the order yet.
It is past 8:00. The curfew is now in effect. We are in the middle of that curfew. And there are still people here, and the police have not yet moved to confront them. Back to you.
COATES: Nick Watt, please stand by. We see the officers at the ready. Of course, the mayor has already given notice. But these protests are spreading to other cities --
WATT: Yeah.
COATES: -- today as well, including in New York where just moments ago, police told protesters they would be arrested if they didn't disperse.
We got CNN's Shimon Prokupecz, who is on the scene. Shimon, what are you doing? What's happening?
SHIMON PROKUPECZ, CNN CRIME AND JUSTICE REPORTER: So, we're -- most of the people, Laura, have left after the NYPD made several announcements that if they didn't leave -- there were some confrontations. There was some pushing and shoving. The NYPD brought in more barriers. And then there was some more confrontations, some more pushing and shoving, and then things calmed down. And many -- just moments ago before we came on air with you, many of them left.
I -- I just wanted to show the scene, just how many NYPD officers are here. I'm going to have Avilo (ph) here turn around. You could see most of them at this point are standing around. They've taken their helmets off. And you could see over on this side as well just the dozens and dozens of officers. Right now, they're just standing by to make sure that none of the protesters come back.
This area here, Laura, you know well. This is 26 Federal Plaza. It's just outside the federal courthouse, the state courthouse. But this building here that we're looking at now, this is where ICE is, this is where their offices are here in New York City, this is where they bring some of the people that they detain. And what's been happening, like we see in L.A., is that some of the protesters have been trying to block some of the vans from going in or coming out, and there have been several arrests as a result of that today.
I also want to point out, and I think the context here, all of this is very important, that for almost four hours, I was with these protesters. We started in this square, in Foley Square, at 5:00. There were speeches. There were probably close to 2,000 people here at one point. They began to march. And for four hours, the NYPD allowed them to march. They were in the street. They were blocking streets. They took over entire avenues and streets. And then they marched to Washington Square Park where they danced. They were singing.
And then a group, a large group leaves Washington Square Park, and they walked through Soho. That is when things started to change because they -- someone, agitator within the crowd, started throwing garbage into the street, and then confrontations with police. That's when it started. And certainly, it escalated. And that is when we started seeing so many of the arrests. And that's what brought us back to here. And then they marched back to the foot of the Brooklyn Bridge where the NYPD then made more arrests. And then we come here, and the NYPD is making several announcements, telling them that if they don't leave, they will be arrested. And they allow them to stay. And this went on for minutes and minutes and minutes. And then, finally, the NYPD sort of -- they held back, they didn't make any arrests, and then many of the protesters left. And at this point, they're just trying to secure this area and are standing by in case there's any flare ups, Laura.
COATES: Shimon Prokupecz, please stand by. Continue to give us the eyes and ears that we need. We appreciate it so much.
With me now is Captain Ron Johnson, a retired Missouri State Highway Patrol captain. He led the response of the protests in Ferguson, Missouri over the death of Michael Brown. Captain, thank you for being here. How do you implement a curfew in a safe way in an area like Downtown Los Angeles?
CAPT. RON JOHNSON, FORMER INCIDENT COMMANDER, MISSOURI STATE HIGHWAY PATROL: Well, I think you use patience. I think it gives the officers a time to rest a little bit. I think that's why we seek care for these officers who have been at this for several days. It gives them time to rest a little bit.
It also gives time for the peaceful protesters that are there legally protesting to go home. The agitated are still around. And so, it'll separate the crowd and it gives a chance for a partnership. You can see that in a way the officers in L.A. are conducting this.
The peaceful protesters have their right. And the protesters are going home. It's the agitated that are staying around. In the first few days, we saw that mix. The agitated actually took over --
UNKNOWN (voice-over): -- change in just a few seconds, really.
COATES: Nick, we're actually -- I mean, excuse me, captain, we're watching right now what's happening in Los Angeles.
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The police officers are still there. You might be hearing the sounds. There are flags that are being way waved. There are cars that are in the street as well that seem to be approaching near the officers. I don't know whether these are just civilians or also law enforcement mixed in -- in plain clothes, in some respects, if there's any challenges being made.
But, as you mentioned, there are exemptions for people who are residents, people who are homeless, people who are members of the press as well, of course. So, how do you ensure, if you are law enforcement, if the people who are remaining are, in fact, allowed to be in the curfew area, or how can you distinguish those, you say, who are rightfully protesting and those who are agitators?
JOHNSON: Well, you have to be patient. You have to listen and not look at everyone the same. And it's usually pretty easy to tell the difference. The protesters, as they're legal, will listen and obey to your rules.
But I think when we look at L.A., they've gone through this several times. A lot of law enforcement officers throughout the department get their training and then their example from L.A. And so, they've got a lot of policies and procedures in place that their officers should follow.
COATES: I'm watching officers moving right now down the street. People are moving along with them, away from them in a different direction. Police officers appear to have zip ties. They have some sort of baton in their hands. Some have a nonlethal weapon that is at the ready, which is bright green. Riot shields -- I mean, excuse me, riot goggles and masks are also on these officers.
Tell me what is happening behind the scenes in the moment that this curfew goes into effect. And also, I see police officers who were on horses as well walking through the streets.
Captain, talk to me about the moments that happened from the curfew going into effect until an order could be issued for arrests to be made.
JOHNSON: Well, they will give them several opportunities to disperse. The officers will talk to them in a compassionate and understanding way, tell them they understand their rights and they do have this right. And we see that in the daytime where we don't see these issues.
But then at some point, they will say, this is our final order, and they will have to go through with that because if they don't, then it has no -- no way to it.
But they will give them separate opportunities. And those peaceful protesters, they will actually leave and go home and come back another day. It's those agitators that will stay around and continue to flame the issue throughout the night.
COATES: You mentioned the idea of being compassionate and being patient. At some point, that patience must give way to any threat to the public safety. What do you tell officers on how to distinguish that line?
JOHNSON: Well, I think when -- when you start seeing rocks and flashback with fireworks and those kinds of things thrown at the officers, they start burning cars and destroying buildings, then it does become unsafe for everyone. And so, there may be a peaceful protester that stays. Now, it becomes a danger to him or her.
And so, I think there has to be some -- some -- some rules here. And so, I think that's what will happen. But I think there will be a lot of patience. And we're seeing that in other states. We're seeing it in Chicago. We're seeing it in New York. The officers are really showing a lot of patience.
COATES: Speaking of patience, I know we have to go, captain, but I'm seeing the officers moving at a quicker pace right now. They are on foot. As we've said, we did see officers who were on horseback as well in Los Angeles.
But I did notice in Chicago, as I'm sure you have seen, there was a car that was plowing through, did not make contact, lethal contact, but appeared to be in some proximity to people who were on the street and walking. How does a contact like that happen? Are there not barricades as part of a protocol?
JOHNSON: Yeah, there should be barricades. That shouldn't happen. And I'm sure if there was a bridge, the department will straighten that out. But there should not be those bridges because you do want to make that environment safe for those protesters that are out there, those officers that are out there, and those citizens who live in that community to work and live.
COATES: Captain Ron Johnson, thank you so much for joining. We appreciate your insight.
Just 90 minutes ago, California's Governor Gavin Newsom pleading with the people to stay calm. He also took a swipe and another swipe and another swipe at President Trump, saying the president is choosing theatrics over policy.
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NEWSOM: Donald Trump's government isn't protecting our communities. They're traumatizing our communities. Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves. But they do not stop there. Trump and his loyalists, they thrive on division because it allows them to take more power and exert even more control.
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And, by the way, Trump, he's not opposed to lawlessness and violence as long as it serves him. What more evidence do we need than January 6?
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COATES: With me now, CNN political commentator and Republican strategist Brad Todd, also Alencia Johnson, a former senior adviser for the Biden 2020 campaign and a best-selling author at that.
We begin with you, Alencia. Newsom's speech did call for calm. He struck a different tone with President Trump, however. Is this the right time?
ALENCIA JOHNSON, DEMOCRATIC STRATEGIST, FORMER SENIOR ADVISER FOR THE BIDEN 2020 CAMPAIGN: It absolutely is the right time because the way that Donald Trump has responded to these protests is actually what is provoking even more rage and anger from people who are literally saying -- actually, let's take the politics aside and talk about how ICE is going after immigrants, is tearing up communities with these unmarked cars, and people not able to, you know, even actually beyond going to schools and going to their place of work.
Some people are actually going to court to make sure that their immigration status is what it should be, and yet they're being met with ICE agents and being taken to God knows where. And so --
COATES: Excuse me. Governor Newsom also emphasized, you know, that people who are breaking law, same tone, but they will be met with his -- with the full force of the law. So, he's criticizing Trump and the tactics, obviously. He's talking about the idea of having law enforcement. Is this inconsistent in a way that could backfire for him?
JOHNSON: I -- I don't think it's inconsistent in the piece that -- what he is trying to say is, as governor, let me actually handle what's happening in my state. Right? Donald Trump didn't give him the opportunity to do that. And so, that is what he's pushing back at. But then he's also elevating the concern that so many of us have with Donald Trump and his administration and the way that they are going about this.
And I want to be also very clear. This issue of immigration and what's happening isn't just a Latino issue. There was -- I saw a report today, what happened in Georgia, and there were Asian American immigrants that were taken out of a nail salon, and the next thing, you know, the business was closed. There are Haitian and Caribbean immigrants who are also very fearful.
And what people are -- organizers are really concerned about is that because there's no due process when ICE is doing what they're doing, it's going to turn into racial profiling. We're going to see more citizens. Right? Because that's what Republicans like to talk about. We're going to see more citizens actually caught up in all of this and going to God knows where.
And so, the humanity of all of this is the piece that frustrates me in this whole conversation. You know, Donald Trump and his cronies want to talk about burning buildings, but I want to talk about --
BRAD TODD, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR, REPUBLICAN STRATEGIST: Well, let's talk about the humanity, though. Joe Biden inviting basically --
JOHNSON: Joe Biden (INAUDIBLE) president.
TODD: But a lot of these people who came here illegally came so because -- came here because Joe Biden left the back door open. His executive orders --
JOHNSON: Obama, Bush. No president has actually fixed immigration.
TODD: But Joe Biden made it worse on purpose. I mean, his executive orders --
JOHNSON: And so is Donald Trump.
TODD: No. Donald Trump has tried to crack down and decrease illegal immigration. Joe Biden, we had -- the numbers don't lie, Alicia. We had 168,000 per month under Joe Biden. It has gone down to 8,000 under Donald Trump. That's just -- all it changed was a posture of enforcement. Joe Biden was inviting people from the whole hemisphere to come here illegally. COATES: Let me ask you --
TODD: That's how --
COATES: -- Brad, on this point, though. I mean, there -- there are Democrats and Republicans across the spectrum who believe that immigration needs to be dealt with appropriately and possibly reformed in various ways. The tactic is what is on display right now. Do you -- do you take issue in any way with the tactics being used right now by President Trump given that Governor Gavin Newsom has said, we got this.
TODD: I'll tell you what. I'll take issue, first of all, with California sanctuary law. In 2017, Gavin Newsom in California passed a sanctuary law that says, we will not let our law enforcement cooperate with enforcing the law of the land. That's what South Carolina tried in 1830. They tried the nullification. They tried to nullify federal laws in their border.
We can't have sanctuary cities and sanctuary states who say, hey, the immigration laws don't apply here. You're going to end up in this situation over and over, whether it's this president or the next one.
COATES: Well, I -- I hear your history lesson, but I'll raise you the current, present, and that is that this has very little to do with the idea of the historic issue, as much as it's about whether or not the priority of ICE is in line with what then candidate Trump said. He talked about criminals first. Understandably, somebody who is a day laborer outside of Home Depot, distinct. So, can you address how this is in line or might be an issue for Republicans?
TODD: Sure. They should be criminals first. And ICE says that's what their priority is.
COATES: Sure.
TODD: That's what they're doing. Fifty-six percent of Americans under CNN's own polling think that everyone who's here illegally should be deported immediately. That's what CNN's poll says this -- this spring.
And so, I don't know that middle America thinks that Donald Trump is wrong to try to fix this problem that predated him. You're right, it predated him. Other presidents had a problem with this, too. Certainly, it was never worse than it was under Joe Biden, and he did it on purpose.
COATES: Well, Alencia, is the issue that this is happening in the way that it is or is this is an issue that is happening in spite of what the governor of the state wants to do?
JOHNSON: Listen. I think it's both. But the piece -- the first question is where I go back to, with the humanity, the way that it is happening, the fear that it is causing among people.
[23:19:58] You know, I was -- I was actually visiting with some clergy one time, and they were talking about how they do a lot of work around food and housing and security, and they have to be on guard as to whether or not some of the people that come and get food and clothes and housing assistance are going to be rounded up and taken to God knows where without any sort of due process. And what kind of nation are we if we are going to be okay with that?
TODD: I don't think that we don't need that. But would you agree with me that we need to end these sanctuary laws that decrease enforcement on purpose?
JOHNSON: I don't think that's a blanket yes or no answer because that is -- honestly, policy is very wonky. But I want us to actually create policy around immigration that speaks to the humanity and speaks to the principle of loving thy neighbor.
COATES: Brad Todd, Alencia Johnson, a lot of food for thought on a day like this. Thank you so much, both of you.
Still ahead, the National Guard now being used to help protect ICE agents who were making the arrests as Trump is vowing to keep them there until there's -- quote -- "peace." Retired Brigadier General Steve Anderson has some concerns about all of this. We'll explain why, next.
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COATES: You're looking right now at live pictures from Los Angeles as we continue to monitor the standoff between law enforcement and protesters.
Tonight, ICE releasing photos appearing to show National Guard troops surrounding immigration agents as the agents make arrests. We'll note the images do not show these troops making the arrest themselves, but they do appear to be guarding these ICE operations.
Well, tonight, a spokeswoman for DHS saying -- quote -- "If any rioters attack ICE law enforcement officers, military personnel have the authority to temporarily detain them until law enforcement makes the arrest. The violence against ICE law enforcement must end."
Joining me now, retired Brigadier General Steve Anderson. Tell me what you think about these images tonight of seeing even members of the military surrounding these ICE agents. What's your reaction?
BRIG. GEN. STEVE ANDERSON, FORMER BRIGADIER GENERAL, U.S. ARMY: Disgust. I mean, I really don't -- we've politicized the military in ways that we -- we should never do. I mean, the -- the deployment of the troops there is illegal. It's going to be ineffective. These soldiers are not trained to do this kind of work. There -- there are so many issues in regards to coordinating appropriate support for these soldiers down there.
And I'm really concerned that you're going to have soldiers that are going to get involved in policing actions, and we're going to have another Kent State moment where we, you know, terribly killed some protesters, you know, conducting peaceful protest.
And the other concern I have, Laura, is that it's going to be incredibly costly. I mean, we've heard $134 million has been -- you know, where's that money going to come from? What are we going to do? How is that going to impact our readiness? You know, we're going to pull troops out of the -- out of what they do normally to prepare for war for 60 days. That's going to have a profound impact on readiness. And -- and there's just so much to this.
And, by the way, our prestige as a nation is going to suffer greatly when we put troops. You know, we -- we look like banana republic when we put troops on the ground suppressing peaceful protesters.
COATES: I want to break it down from some of the area you talked about, the illegality you said, the ineffectiveness of those who are not trained, the logistics, of course prestige.
Beginning with illegality, President Trump has not yet invoked the Insurrection Act, which means it'd be an exception to having military enforce law on domestic soil, which is, you know, not what we want to have happen.
But he is talking about from the perspective of these troops would be there to have a reinforcing function so that federal law could go into effect. Do you buy that argument? Is that enough of a reason to explain Marines, National Guard on the ground?
ANDERSON: No. Not at all. There's plenty of police down there. The Los Angeles Police is one of the largest and most capable police forces in the world. They do not need this help. This is just a show of force by President Trump. I believe that what he's doing is actually fanning the flames of discontent.
He's -- these troops are not going to be there as deterrent. They're actually a stimulant to more protests, I believe. That's what's going to come out of this. And, in fact, perhaps, that's his playbook. That's what he wants. He wants an excuse, perhaps, to -- to -- leverage the Insurrection Act. And -- and that would be -- you know, if we have continued protests like this throughout the United States and in Los Angeles, that might very well be an effect from this.
COATES: And really quick. We heard from Secretary Kristi Noem that she asked the Pentagon to have troops arrest protesters. DHS later clarified that the request was made before Noem and Hegseth met with the -- with president Trump. Would Marines or National Guards, should they have any authority or would they just be a supplemental reinforcement?
ANDERSON: They would be there to protest -- to protect federal property. Okay? But they do not have the authority to make any kind of arrest. So, this would be a total misuse of the military to do this. We are not policemen. We are soldiers. We are trained to fight and defend the United States against foreign adversaries and -- and -- and fight wars.
We do not fight a war against civilian population. It would be a terrible, terrible thing for the United States to use our military to enforce -- you know, to suppress peaceful protest in this country.
COATES: How do you think the military reacts to their being deployed this way?
ANDERSON: I think it's a tremendous morale issue for these guys. I mean, they -- they did not sign up to -- to -- to quell protests. They do not -- soldiers do not want to be involved in conducting police operations.
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And this -- this is taking away from what they enlisted or joined the Army to do. They want to train. They want to make themselves better. They want to be prepared to defend this country. They do not want to conduct police actions in the -- in Los Angeles area or anywhere else for that matter. That's not what soldiers do.
COATES: General Steve Anderson, you know best. Thank you so much.
ANDERSON: Thank you, Laura.
COATES: There's much more from the ground in Los Angeles tonight as the curfew gets underway with protesters still clearly milling around.
Plus, new reporting on how President Trump is using his crackdown in Los Angeles to pressure Republicans to back his agenda.
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COATES: Protesters still out in Los Angeles tonight despite the curfew that is now officially in place. Let's get an update now from CNN's Michael Yoshida, who is in Downtown L.A. Michael, what are you seeing?
MICHAEL YOSHIDA, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Hey. Good evening, Laura. What a difference 24 hours makes. Around this time yesterday, we're about a half mile south of here talking with you, showing you some of those more tense interactions with law enforcement and protesters, some of their arrests even. But you can see right now, at least in this part of Downtown LA, about 30 minutes into this new curfew, the streets are clear to the protesters we saw all day and now just a heavy law enforcement presence.
This is mostly California Highway Patrol that we have lined up blocking some of the on and off ramps to the 101, also over the bridge that leads right to that federal detention facility where, throughout the day, we've seen that be the focus point for the protest. It was about an hour -- hour and a half ago, we saw law enforcement start to make their lines and move towards where we are now, pushing the protesters back. And then right around 30 or 40 minutes ago, when that curfew was about to go into effect, we saw them push forward, make announcements. We also have helicopters overhead using some speaker systems to make announcements about this new curfew. And then, again, it was about 30 minutes ago, all our phones started going off here, some alerts about this new curfew.
So again, a much different scene at least for this part of Downtown L.A. Again, it's about a mile -- square mile area impacted by this curfew. But, again, based on the sites we saw last night, very different. But, obviously, we're short -- only a short time into this new curfew. We'll be keeping an eye on it as the night goes on. Laura?
COATES: Michael, please stand by. I see a huge law enforcement presence. Nonetheless, curfew still in effect.
We have joining us right now, California Democratic Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove, representing part of L.A., including Downtown, and she joins us now.
Congresswoman, I have to ask you immediately. I mean, this has been now five days of protests that are continuing. There's a curfew now in effect. Mayor Bass spoke about some destruction, vandalism, and beyond. What is your reaction seeing your community in this state?
REP. SYDNEY KAMLAGER-DOVE (D-CA): It's incredibly upsetting to me because I know that Donald Trump is staging all of these provocations to distract us from the fact that $880 billion is going to be cut from Medicaid, and he had this divorce without a prenup from Elon Musk, which was probably very tragic to his ego.
Over the weekend, we were having pride parade, and we were celebrating graduations, and he upended that by sending in ICE with these unannounced raids. They are coming in with no identification, no judicial warrants, masks, and they're terrorizing communities and detaining folks and brutalizing folks.
And so, here, now, we are in a situation where Angelenos are standing up for their city in a peaceful way. There are some anarchists. But what we do know is this is a highly-contained situation. It is one square mile that is under curfew in a city that is over 500 square miles and incredibly peaceful. And we want him out of our city, out of our state.
COATES: What do you make of the fact that Governor Newsom says, we've got this, I don't need you here, filing a lawsuit about the idea? But there is the president of the United States saying, listen, I haven't invoked the Insurrection Act, but I cannot enforce my federal law having ICE agents essentially make arrests and beyond.
Is there any validity you see to having the National Guard or others present to help reinforce that?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: No. Absolutely not. He is violating the Constitution. Article 10 says you cannot weaponize or militarize or federalize these troops and send them into a state without consent from the sitting governor. So, Trump woke up and said, who do I mess with today because I'm butthurt about Elon Musk?
We've got this. The mayor and the governor and all of us have this under control. California delegation came out today and said, you can peacefully protest, don't be violent, you will be held to account if you do that. And people understand that.
COATES: Talk to me about the tension, though, from -- obviously, there's the tactics that people take issue with in terms of ICE agents performing these, as you call them, staged provocations and beyond. But talk to about the tension. Many Democrats and Republicans agree that there needs to be fundamental immigration reform. The tactics being employed is really the disagreement in many ways. How do you reconcile as a Democrat what the need might be to reform some measures and the tactics taken?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Well, last Congress, we actually had a bipartisan immigration reform piece of legislation that Donald Trump said, don't pass because I need to run on this to become president. And now, you see these illegal, unlawful, unconstitutional tactics that he's using. He's militarizing ICE.
You know, Kristi Noem is saying we need surveillance and drones, we want you to detain anyone who's a law breaker using the military.
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The military is not there to enforce civilian law. So, we have to hold this president to account. That's why the governor in the state of California is suing him, because of these unlawful orders.
COATES: You know, Senator Fetterman seems to suggest that there is a lesson to have been learned in 2020 by Democrats, that there is a conflation happening between those who are agitators, anarchists, and those who are otherwise lawfully protesting what they are passionate about. Have Democrats missed the mark in trying to distinguish the two in the public eye?
KAMLAGER-DOVE: I don't think so. I would hope that Senator Fetterman would focus on Pennsylvania. And, as I mentioned, we had a press conference today, and all of the California Congress folks said, we do not condone violence.
Absolutely, you have a right to exercise your First Amendment, and you can protest peacefully. And we should be standing up to a government, to an administration that is disrespecting us and disrespecting the law. We don't have any faith or trust in this administration, and that is what the peaceful protests are about.
COATES: I'm looking forward to seeing how the judge feels about this on Thursday's hearing for that preliminary injunction. Congresswoman, thank you for joining.
KAMLAGER-DOVE: Thank you, queen. COATES: Still ahead, the new legal challenge to Trump's use of the military in Los Angeles. Does California have a case?
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COATES: As protests continue in Los Angeles, President Trump today took his anti-deportation message to Fort Bragg, where he berated California Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, drawing boos from the crowd of soldiers behind him.
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DONALD TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA: The governor of California, the mayor of Los Angeles --
(BOOEING)
TRUMP: -- they're incompetent. And they paid troublemakers, agitators, and insurrectionists. They're engaged in this willful attempt to nullify federal law and aid the occupation of the city by criminal invaders.
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COATES: I want to bring in Marc Caputo, senior politics reporter for Axios. Marc, I mean, Trump was speaking at Fort Bragg, using words like invasion, saying that soldiers will be quite -- quote -- "aggressive." What do you make of the way he is using the military to convey his message?
MARC CAPUTO, SENIOR POLITICS REPORTER, AXIOS: Well, it has sort of been strong man week for Donald Trump. It began Saturday when he issued that executive order that gave him the authority, in his view. Obviously, he's being challenged to call the military, militarize the response in Los Angeles.
Now, today, on Tuesday, he's in Fort Bragg and speaking, as we just saw there, in front of the troops. And then in the coming Saturday, coinciding with his birthday, there's a military parade in D.C.
A lot of this is unfinished business for Donald Trump from 2020. In 2020, during the protests, the riots in some places, the vandalism in some places, in response to George Floyd's killing, Donald Trump wanted to send in the military, the National Guard, a lot sooner in a lot of cities, and he didn't. He expressed regret about it then and even today. And so, what you saw on Saturday and what you're going to be seeing in the future, he says, is him responding much more quickly in the way he is.
He also, in 2020, wanted to have a military parade in D.C., and he was talked out of that by his advisers as well. So, he's consolidating more power for the executive. Obviously, Democrats, his critics, legal scholars and the like are accusing him of being authoritarian, and that doesn't trouble him at all. He's moving forward with this sort of new phase of his presidency.
COATES: There are already preparations here in Washington, D.C. for that parade. You see it all over the place right now. You have some new reporting as well, Marc, that Trump wants to use the protest that we're seeing to get support for his big beautiful bill, which includes, by the way, billions towards immigration enforcement. How is Trump using the protest to try to pressure any congressional holdouts that there might be over that bill?
CAPUTO: Basically, making a choice. He's saying he, the White House, and his Senate aids, Senate allies, House allies -- saying there's a basic choice here for Republicans. You're either going to side with the president or you're going to be on the side of Gavin Newsom and the rioters who are waving Mexican flags in front of burning cars.
And they're pointing out that the bill has loads of immigration enforcement and money in there and authority for the president, and so voting against that legislation, not voting for the legislation, is tense amount to supporting the democratic position or the position that is against the immigration posture of not only President Trump but a majority of Republicans.
COATES: It's amazing. Often, California is the boogeyman in all of this. Marc Caputo, thank you so much.
CAPUTO: Oh, yeah. Thank you.
COATES: A federal judge is denying California's request to immediately block Trump from deploying the military for law enforcement purposes and said he scheduled a hearing for Thursday. Attorneys for California arguing and accusing -- excuse me -- Trump and Hegseth of promoting -- quote -- "warrior culture." And tonight, Governor Newsom is firing back as well.
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NEWSOM: Today, we sought an emergency court order to stop the use of the American military to engage in law enforcement activities across Los Angeles. If some of us could be snatched off the streets without a warrant, based only on suspicion or skin color, then none of us are safe.
[23:50:00]
Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves. But they do not stop there.
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COATES: The administration pushing back, arguing that California's request was -- quote -- "extraordinary, unprecedented, and dangerous."
With me now to discuss, former federal prosecutor Gene Rossi, also legal analyst and trial attorney, Monique Pressley. I begin with you, Gene, on this because California --
GENE ROSSI, FORMER FEDERAL PROSECUTOR: Sure.
COATES: -- is arguing that deploying Marines, deploying the National Guard for civilian law enforcement in the way we see right now, including accompanying ICE agents on these different raids, is illegal. What's your take?
ROSSI: I disagree with that, respectfully. However, I don't agree with Trump's decision. Under Title 10, if you have a rebellion, an invasion or there are incidences that prevent the enforcement of the laws --
COATES: Uh-hmm.
ROSSI: -- you can nationalize the National Guard. You can also find an exception under the Insurrection Act to call the Marines. But what you have to do is have a responsible president who is very cautious, objective, and doesn't use it to politicize an issue. And that concerns me here, that Donald Trump is doing that.
COATES: Monique, President Trump has not invoked the Interaction Act yet. I don't know if he actually will or not, but the idea of trying to nationalize in this way. We do see images tonight that appear to show National Guard troops who are assisting the ICE troops in their raids, if not effectuating arrest themselves. What authorities do those troops have? It's not akin to a police officer.
MONIQUE PRESSLEY, TRIAL ATTORNEY: No. They're not trained to be police officers. They're not supposed to be police officers. This country was founded upon principles that actually are supposed to be keeping us from being a military state, which is why, respectfully, I disagree.
I believe that what President Trump is doing now is trying to, without actually invoking the Insurrection Act, get the military in place, which he's already doing, and that makes it unlawful. He knows he doesn't have what's necessary, or the people around him, I don't know who's making the decisions, know that they don't have what's necessary.
Any protest could technically be considered something that's keeping somebody in the administration or in government from doing some law. That's what a protest is.
But if the protest is peaceful and if the local and state law enforcement officers can handle those who are not peaceful, then there's no reason whatsoever to bring in National Guard. I mean, the law says shall, not should, not could, not would. So, it really is come for us when we call you, and that's not what happened here. So, now, we've got a state suing the government again.
But then beyond that, with the Marines using -- using our military, the level of fright that is -- I know you saw Mayor Bass talking about it, talking about how people are literally afraid, just in their homes, not in the streets as protesters, but just not knowing what's going to happen next. And that's why we have these laws in place, so that citizens are not afraid of the military, are not afraid of their own government.
COATES: Well, you know, there could be an argument. Just playing devil's advocate where --
ROSSI: Yeah.
COATES: -- they might say, well, that very fear that they're experiencing is because there's an absence of law enforcement that they think will take care of and dissolve the protests. Of course, law enforcement's role is not to suppress free speech. It is supposed to maintain the public order as we know. But the judge, so far, in the preliminary injunction has not said, okay, we're joining it. They're waiting till Thursday.
ROSSI: Well --
COATES: Why?
ROSSI: I think the judge wants to hear both sides. And I know we respectfully disagree. I'm not saying that Trump made the right decision. What I am saying is under the statute and the exception under the Insurrection Act, he does have fulsome and broad powers. I think he's abusing them.
In 1992, President H.W. Bush legitimately called out the Marines, invoked that exception to the Posse Comitatus Act for the Rodney King thing. He legitimately did that. The governor supported it. Mayor Bradley supported it. Here, it's just raw political theater. He's ignoring Gavin Newsom. He's ignoring Mayor Bass. So --
COATES: So, if Governor Gavin Newsom, for example, had said, I want this, would your legal argument go away?
ROSSI: If Governor Newsom said to President Trump, I want the Marines, I want the National Guard, I would shut up because I would think there'd be a legitimate reason because you got the person on the ground, the governor, and I assume the mayor would agree with the governor, we need the National Guard, we need the Marines, we don't have anything close.
[23:54:58]
I was looking at those photos, and there's like 300 people protesting and hardly anybody doing anything other than holding up a sign. Now, were there -- was there a car put on fire? Yes.
But General Anderson, who you just had on, he was magnificent. What he said was when they -- when they joined the military, they're not joining the military to help ICE agents arrest people here illegally, they're joining the military to go fight foreign wars, and it's putting the military in a very uncomfortable position being a cop, and they're not trained to do that.
COATES: Really quick.
PRESSLEY: Well, I was just going to say, I think the judge made the right decision because the standard is immediate irreparable harm. And as -- as Gene just said, when you look at the pictures, I mean, the -- the National Guard military, they're -- they're sleeping on floors, they're standing around, they don't have any orders, so it would be hard to make a case for immediate irreparable harm.
But on Thursday, the judge will listen and decide whether the right action was taken by the executive branch, and I believe that the judge will side with the state of California.
COATES: There's a novelty at play right now. We'll see how it all unfolds. Thank you both.
ROSSI: Thank you.
COATES: Much more in our breaking news coverage ahead. Arrests now taking place in L.A. as police begin to enforce the mayor's state curfew. Live reports from the scene are next.
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