Trump deployed troops in my home city.

From Mike Young, Executive Director of California Environmental Voters:

Team, our home has become the site of an extreme and unnecessary presidential overreach. 

As a proud Angeleno, it’s painful to watch Los Angeles—the city I love—become the victim of such a blatant and severe abuse of power. This is political theater to distract from Trump’s Big Bad Bill for the ultra-rich that would devastate our environment, public health, and economic safety.

California has been in Trump’s crosshairs since his first presidential term, and now he’s deploying the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles despite vocal opposition from Governor Newsom. This act—straight out of the Project 2025 playbook—is the first time a president has taken federal control of the National Guard against the will of a governor in over 65 years. It’s a blatant, needless escalation to create a spectacle: inflaming tensions, antagonizing communities, undermining our democracy, and shutting down opposition.

This is not who we are as Americans. We’re better than this—and California needs to defend our city, our home, and our right to peacefully protest.

California Environmental Voters stands in solidarity with California’s immigrants, our partner organizations who are on the front lines of this fight, and our communities. 

We stand in solidarity with the workers, parents, students, and neighbors who have been abducted in the ICE raids, deportations, and disappearances. 

We stand in solidarity with members of our community who are living in fear because of the actions Trump has taken that undermine our democracy, intimidate our neighbors, and silence opposition. 

We stand in solidarity with the thousands of people across the country who are peacefully protesting this overreach of power. 

And we stand in solidarity with our coalition partners, like the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), who are doing on-the-ground work to protect and defend our democracy, our neighbors, and our communities.

If you’re looking for resources or ways to get involved, we’ve collected a few:

• CHIRLA: Know Your Rights
• Detained Immigrant Bond Fund
• No Kings Day of Defiance on Saturday, June 14 

We’re grateful to see such staunch commitment to our values from California’s leaders in this crucial moment. Governor Newsom, Mayor Bass, Attorney General Bonta, and Senators Padilla and Schiff have all been vocal and steadfast in their opposition against Trump’s overreach, and we’re proud to see them lead the charge to stand up for what’s right. 

This is an unprecedented time for California and the nation as a whole. If you’re concerned, upset, and afraid—that’s understandable, because that’s exactly what they’re trying to invoke in us. But I know our community: We’re resilient, we’re strong, and we’re ready to defend our values and each other.

Thank you for being part of that community. I’m honored and grateful that you’re here with us.

Mike Young
Executive Director, EnviroVoters