President Donald Trump’s deployment of thousands of California National Guard members to Los Angeles is weakening the state’s ability to respond to major wildfires, California officials say in court papers.
Trump has ordered roughly 4,000 guard members to deal with protests against federal immigration raids — an action that California political leaders have condemned and legally challenged.
In court papers filed Thursday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D) asserted that Trump’s deployment “impairs” the California National Guard’s ability to handle “critical functions … including providing urgent responses to natural disasters and wildfires.”
“California relies on the experience and expertise of its National Guard members to respond to real emergencies,” Bonta wrote.
