1. United States
2. Colo.
3. Letter

I am writing to express my outrage and deep concern over former President Trump’s unprecedented deployment of federalized National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles in early June 2025—an action taken without the consent of California’s governor or local officials. According to reporting by The Atlantic, this was the first time in nearly 60 years that a president has overridden a state governor to federalize Guard forces, deploying 2,000 troops and 700 Marines amid protests sparked by ICE raids . Legal scholars agree that Trump’s invocation of Title 10 authority was not based on an actual emergency—and was both constitutionally dubious and politically motivated . This abuse of power weakens the traditions of state authority and civilian control of the military, and risks normalizing military involvement in domestic dissent. I urge you to strongly condemn this deployment and support federal and congressional efforts to prevent future overreach. Congress should explore clarifying or limiting presidential authority to federalize state forces, and closely scrutinize any use of military personnel in domestic law enforcement. The line between democracy and authoritarianism is fragile—using soldiers to suppress peaceful or localized protests is a dangerous escalation that threatens our civil liberties and the constitutional balance of power. I appreciate your leadership and ask that you stand firm in protecting democratic norms and accountability.