The Trump administration has been adamant about deploying the National Guard to select cities, including Los Angeles, Washington D.C., Chicago and Portland.
The administration’s rhetoric surrounding the deployment involves the desire to be stricter involving crime and perceived acts of terrorism.
Since the start of this administration, there have been many protests opposing the president and his policies, especially regarding immigration.
The largest examples of these demonstrations were the “No Kings” protests which took place on June 14 and Oct. 18. According to CNN, on the weekend of the Oct. 18 No Kings protests, the president and Vice President JD Vance both posted AI memes to social media depicting Trump in a crown. The president isn’t shy about expressing his disapproval of these political demonstrations that oppose his administration.
The AI video also portrays Trump defecating on protesters. Not only is it outright disgusting but, by posting this video Trump is making it seem as though they do not have the right to protest.
This is unacceptable behavior coming from the Trump Administration. The first amendment gives Americans the right to freedom of speech and peaceful assembly.
Several governments across the U.S. that face the threat of stationed troops declare their dedication to defy the action. New York City is now one of the many warned cities.
According to ABC News, President Trump characterized New York as an “unsafe place.” As the threat of deploying the National Guard to New York City looms, Governor Kathy Hochul responded that this “undermines the significant work being done at the state level to reduce crime.”
Stationing of troops in New York City inevitably comes with a set of fears amongst residents. These fears are valid considering how far the deployment has escalated in other cities, with situations such as aggressive crowd dispersal and targeting of protesters.
For example, in Los Angeles, the deployment of National Guard Troops accompanied the many immigration raids occurring throughout the city. More importantly, troops are utilized to show strength and intimidate. The same thing could occur in New York City.
The possibility of having the National Guard on the streets invokes distress amongst citizens. This idea is true for the many students who make up NYC.
Miniya Rogers, tenth grade, said, “It’s very clear that Trump’s actions are against the people and for the government.”
There are also a lot of concerns surrounding the deployment as it makes people inclined to stay indoors, and having troops here can feel very militaristic and dangerous. Seeing soldiers in our neighborhoods would be enough to make people feel less safe and threatened in a sense.
Arami Zaracho, eleventh grade debate team member said, “If Trump really comes to New York with the National Guard, I think that he is trifling. He is delusional if he thinks that bringing the National Guard to New York will do absolutely anything.”
NPR reported, “Any city in America with a 50% increase in their officers is going to be able to have some kind of impact on public safety. But that’s not reality. That’s not the fiscal reality.” This implies that the National Guard could improve crime rates in theory, but it is near impossible due to the large amounts of money put into it, as well as the legal rabbit holes that it causes.
The first city the National Guard was deployed to was Los Angeles in June. The deployment was instantly resisted by both residents and the government of California.
Governor Gavin Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued the Trump Administration in response.
In all, if the National Guard does get deployed to our streets here in New York City, know your rights. You have the right to record any guard or federal agent. You have the right to remain silent and have a warrant provided for any requested searches or seizures.
Of course, these are the worst case scenarios, but it is always important to understand what you can do to stay safe and informed in a crisis.
