Guest Opinion | Paul Vernon: When States Resist: Immigration, Federal Authority, and the Price of Defiance

Notably absent from the public discussion over illegal immigration is any  explanation or justification for how and why President Trump federalized the California  National Guard. You won’t hear a single media outlet or politician offer an explanation—but  there are compelling reasons.

On Saturday, local politicos like Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom  filled the airwaves and social media with their opposition, insisting California had matters  well in hand and didn’t need National Guard support. Newsom, joined by fifteen fellow  governors, even released an open letter—a civics lesson of sorts—arguing that governors,  not the president, control the National Guard.

The letter read in part: “We join with Governor Newsom who made it clear that  violence is unacceptable and that local authorities should be able to do their jobs without  the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation.”

Violence is indeed unacceptable—but it’s not federal agents causing it. It’s  protesters, many waving foreign flags and some reportedly in the country illegally, who are  attacking ICE agents enforcing federal law. These agents are not faceless outsiders; they  are local residents with families, just like the protesters. Yet, instead of condemning the  violence against them, leaders like Bass and Newsom have projected blame onto the  agents and aligned themselves with the demonstrators.

State and local officials have repeatedly refused to support federal immigration  enforcement. They’ve demonized federal agents and proudly declared their “sanctuary”  policies, effectively abrogating their responsibilities under the law. As a result, ICE has  been left not only short-staffed for immigration enforcement but forced to protect itself  from physical attack. FBI and DEA agents have tried to fill this security gap—but pulling  them off their primary duties isn’t a sustainable or efficient solution.

This is where the National Guard comes in.

President Trump didn’t send 2,000 soldiers to California to patrol the streets, as was  done during the 1992 riots. Their mission is focused: to serve as a security detail for ICE  operations. These soldiers ensure that ICE agents can safely do their jobs—protecting their property, securing arrest scenes, and ensuring lawful operations aren’t obstructed by mobs  or unlawful interference.

Cities may claim they don’t need the National Guard. That may be true—for them.  But ICE does. And with local law enforcement refusing to cooperate, Trump simply found  another federal resource. It’s a legally sound and logistically necessary move that ensures  federal law is enforced.

To understand this decision, we must remember that federalizing the National  Guard has historical precedent. In the 1950s, Presidents Eisenhower and Kennedy  federalized the Guard to enforce school desegregation in states that defied civil rights  rulings. Imagine if Newsom, Bass, or Mayor Gordo of Pasadena had been in office then— would they have sided with the Southern governors maintaining segregation or with the  federal government protecting constitutional rights?

Consider also the standoff at Fort Sumter in 1861. South Carolina demanded the  surrender of a federal garrison; President Lincoln refused, attempting only to send food and  water. The Confederacy responded with force, triggering the Civil War. In both cases, local  defiance of federal authority escalated into national crises.

Today’s situation isn’t as extreme, but the principle is the same. When states  obstruct lawful federal authority, the president must act. Immigration enforcement is a  federal responsibility. And while California politicians may not like the results of the 2024  election, as President Obama once reminded us, “Elections have consequences.”

California remains part of the United States. The challenges of illegal immigration— its strain on housing, crime, public services, and welfare systems—are real and pressing.  It’s time for local leaders to stop playing politics and start taking responsibility. Support  federal agents, or at the very least, stop getting in their way—and insist your constituents  do the same.

Pasadena resident Paul Vernon retired from the Los Angeles Police Dept. in 2021 as the captain of COMPSTAT Division. He had previously served as captain over two LAPD patrol divisions. Before becoming captain in 2015, he served as a detective lieutenant for about 10 years.