As part of a surprise trip to the area, Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to land in Los Angeles on Friday. The federal raids have prompted days of demonstrations and opposition from local politicians.
The vice president’s arrival time was not immediately apparent, but according to a statement from his office, Vance would visit with Marines who have been deployed to the region and tour a Federal Mobile Command Center and a multiagency Federal Joint Operations Center.
Requests for information regarding Vance’s visit were not answered by any of the White House officials.
During his visit, he is also anticipated to deliver a few brief statements.
The visit coincides with a legal battle between federal and California officials over control of the California National Guard, which President Trump took over and dispatched to respond to protests throughout the city against ongoing immigration raids despite Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections.
Despite Vance’s unexpected travel to the nation’s most populous state, he is unlikely to meet with its top elected official because of the altercation, which has resulted in Newsom and Trump administration officials scolding each other in interviews and on social media.
According to a statement from the governor’s office, “We’re always open to working together, which makes it all the more disappointing that the White House chose not to engage with us directly ahead of the visit.” As far as we know, the vice president’s trip is centered around a high-profile fundraiser, but we haven’t received any formal notification of it yet.
While the matter is being heard in federal court, the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals maintained control of the troops in Trump’s hands on Thursday.
Rob Bonta, the attorney general, has promised to keep opposing the Trump administration’s decision.
This report was written by Seema Mehta, a staff writer for the Times.
