A heated argument has broken out in the nation’s capital after reports that the Trump administration used military-grade drones, specifically MQ-9 Reapers, to watch over protests in the U.S. This move has made many House Democrats very upset, as they see it as a misuse of government power and a threat to people’s rights under the Constitution.
The issue started when the Department of Homeland Security reportedly used these high-tech drones to keep an eye on protests in Los Angeles earlier this year. Some of these protests turned violent after they began as a reaction to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations targeting undocumented immigrants in mostly Hispanic and Latino neighborhoods in the Southern California city.
Representative Jimmy Gomez, a Democrat from California whose district includes large parts of Los Angeles, has been one of the strongest voices against this practice. He recently proposed a new law that would stop the federal government from using military drones to monitor protests inside the United States. Gomez told Fox News in a statement, “The U.S. government should never use military drones to spy on its own people. Not under Trump. Not under anyone. This bill would stop Trump’s abuse of power and get these combat drones out of our neighborhoods.”
Trump wants to use drones on US citizens
Using military equipment for police work and surveillance has always been a controversial topic. Those who oppose it say it mixes military and civilian roles in a dangerous way, making police responses to protests more aggressive and threatening basic freedoms, including the right to demonstrate. Seeing advanced drones, which were first built for overseas combat, flying over U.S. cities during protests has made these worries even stronger.
During the Los Angeles protests, pictures of burning cars and fights between protesters and police spread quickly, leading to arguments between Republicans and Democrats about who was responsible for the growing unrest. At the time, Gomez was openly critical of the administration’s choice to send the National Guard into Los Angeles, even though California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom objected.
We have the least courageous “leaders.”
— Hear in LA (@hearinladotcom) July 26, 2025
Trump has already flooded LA with ICE, the Marines, and the National Guard.
Plus he has withheld FEMA monies from fire victims.
He’s out of weapons. Meanwhile his star was illegally installed.
Just do your job or quit,… https://t.co/OA21hIRje9
Gomez called the administration’s actions in Los Angeles a reckless abuse of power that made tensions worse, put lives at risk, and weakened constitutional principles. He stressed that Californians and all Americans stand together, warning that if this kind of overreach is not stopped, it could happen anywhere in the country.
The bill introduced by Representative Gomez has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee and the House Armed Services Committee for review. However, with Republicans controlling the House, the bill is not expected to pass. Still, the fact that this law was proposed shows how divided Congress is over the limits of federal power and the right way to use military technology at home, especially as the current administration, now in its seventh month, continues to face questions about how it handles the security of its citizens and what freedoms we’re expeceted to lose.
