The Trump administration federalized California’s national guard in June, dispatching about 4,000 National Guard and Marines in response to protests in the city over immigration raids, despite opposition from the State of California.
SFI was quick to respond: Sarah took to social media to educate our community on what was happening in real time. Sarah and Brandi shared stories from National Guard families that poured in, and we told those stories of families impacted by this deployment to decisionmakers and the press.
When the National Guard deployments to Los Angeles began, our community had questions — and SFI was there.
From early explainer posts to real-time updates and context, we focused on education over fear and facts over noise.
We believe informed communities are stronger communities, and that’s why we show up when it matters most. We show up not just to inform, but to protect, connect, and empower.
In July, Brandi and Shalena spoke at a press conference with LA Mayor Karen Bass demanding that the National Guard and active-duty Marines leave LA. 3 hours after this press conference, 700 active-duty Marines were removed.
In September, Brandi submitted a declaration describing the day-to-day life and sacrifices of military families during deployments and moves, to support the State of California’s legal case.
By October, Brandi’s declaration in this case became an amicus brief in Illinois v. Trump and Oregon v. Trump – the legal actions to end the domestic deployments in these additional states.
Today, U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer granted a preliminary injunction to the State of California. Breyer’s ruling stated that the administration’s “argument for a president to hold unchecked power to control state troops would wholly upend the federalism that is at the heart of our system of government.”