Vice President JD Vance is headed to Los Angeles on Friday in a surprise visit tied to the Trump administration’s latest crackdown on immigration enforcement. The trip comes amid growing tension over the federal government’s use of National Guard troops and active-duty Marines in major U.S. cities facing widespread protests.
According to reporting by The Independent, Vance is expected to tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Center, a Federal Mobile Command Center, and meet with both military leadership and frontline Marines. He will also deliver brief remarks during the visit, though his office has not released details on the exact time or location—an unusual move that officials say is linked to ongoing safety concerns.
Typically, White House travel schedules are publicly available, but a source familiar with the planning told The Independent that the last-minute nature of this announcement is due to elevated security risks surrounding the immigration raids and civil unrest in large urban centers.
Appeals Court Backs Federal Control Over National Guard
Vance’s visit comes just one day after a federal appeals court handed the Trump administration a legal victory. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that President Donald Trump can continue exercising control over 4,000 National Guard troops who were federalized in response to national protests against his immigration policies.
California Governor Gavin Newsom had filed a lawsuit to bring the Guard back under state control, arguing that Trump’s move was unconstitutional and overstepped federal authority. A lower court had initially ruled in Newsom’s favor, stating that Trump violated both his legal limits and the Tenth Amendment.
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But the appeals court found that the president acted within his authority under a federal statute that allows him to call up National Guard forces when normal military assets are not sufficient to enforce federal law. The court also ruled that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth likely met procedural requirements by notifying California’s Adjutant General through the appropriate state channels.
Trump Targets Democratic Strongholds in Deportation Drive
In a recent post on Truth Social, President Trump confirmed that his administration is expanding deportation efforts in major cities like Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago—areas he accuses of harboring “millions upon millions of illegal aliens.”
“These cities are the heart of Democrat power,” Trump wrote, claiming that undocumented immigrants are used to “expand their voter base, cheat in elections, and grow the welfare state,” while allegedly stealing jobs and benefits from American citizens.
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The federal push has drawn criticism from immigrant rights groups, legal experts, and Democratic leaders who say these actions are politically motivated and designed to intimidate minority communities in the lead-up to the 2024 election.
JD Vance’s Trip Highlights Rising Stakes
Vice President Vance’s sudden appearance in Los Angeles signals a strategic show of force and support for the administration’s controversial immigration policies. His visit highlights how central the issue of immigration has become in national politics—and how the White House is willing to back its agenda with military presence if necessary.
With legal battles still unfolding and tensions rising across multiple cities, Vance’s California trip may be just the beginning of a larger political showdown over state authority, immigration, and the limits of presidential power.
