Reps. Tran, Cisneros, and Whitesides Demand Answers from Secretary Hegseth Regarding Military Deployment to Los Angeles

Washington, DC - Rep. Derek Tran (CA-45), along with Southern California House Armed Services Committee colleagues Reps. Gil Cisneros (CA-31) and George Whitesides (CA-27), issued a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to express concerns over the lack of transparency and communication during the Department of Defense's recent activation of 4,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to the Los Angeles metropolitan area.

"Public safety will always be my top priority. I trust local and state law enforcement to manage the situation, keep peaceful protesters safe, and hold violent offenders accountable in accordance with their training. The deployment of the National Guard and Marines, without coordination with local law enforcement, is a dangerous escalation that does nothing to make our communities safer and will chill constitutionally protected speech," said Rep. Derek Tran. "I'm proud to stand with fellow members of the California Congressional Delegation on the House Armed Services Committee to demand answers from Secretary Hegseth."

"Secretary Hegseth's deployment of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles raises grave constitutional concerns," said Rep. Cisneros. "Bypassing the authority of state and local officials is a serious abuse of federal power. That's why I joined my colleagues, Rep. Whitesides and Rep. Tran, in demanding answers from the Department of Defense."

"The safety of my constituents is my number one concern, and it's clear that there was a fundamental lack of communication and transparency in the mobilization of the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles," said Rep. Whitesides "As a member of the House Armed Services Committee, which has jurisdiction over the Department of Defense, I am deeply concerned by the constitutional and procedural implications of these actions. That's why I'm demanding answers from the administration along with Reps. Tran and Cisneros - for the millions of Californians we represent, and as members of the committee charged with military oversight."

The full text of the letter can be found HERE.

It's important that members of the community know their rightsif approached by ICE agents or the police, regardless of their immigration status.

Reps. Tran, Cisneros, and Whitesides are members of the House Armed Services Committee and all represent districts in Los Angeles County.

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Congressman Derek Tran represents California's 45th Congressional District. Serving his first term in Congress, Congressman Tran is a member of the House Armed Services Committee and House Small Business Committee, where he is Ranking Member of the Oversight, Investigations, and Regulations Subcommittee. Congressman Tran is the son of Vietnamese refugees, a Veteran, and fought for consumers as an attorney before entering Congress.