Protests in Los Angeles have escalated sharply after President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to suppress demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement operations. The unrest began last week following mass arrests by federal immigration agents in areas including the fashion district and a Home Depot in Paramount, a city with a large Latino population.
The deployment of National Guard troops was carried out without the consent of California Governor Gavin Newsom, who condemned the move as a “significant violation of state sovereignty” and accused Trump of seeking to create a spectacle. Typically, the governor requests National Guard deployment, but Trump invoked a federal provision allowing him to nationalize the state guard during insurrections against the federal government.
Clashes between protesters and federal agents have been intense, with authorities using tear gas, flash-bang grenades, and pepper balls, while demonstrators retaliated by throwing rocks and debris. Fires broke out on city streets, and protesters blocked the 101 Freeway, halting traffic in both directions. Several arrests were made amid the confrontations.
The National Guard was primarily stationed around the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, a focal point of the protests due to the detention of arrested immigrants. Protesters chanted slogans such as “ICE out of LA,” confronting Guard members and law enforcement officers, which led to further clashes.
Immigration authorities reported over 100 arrests in the past week related to enforcement operations. Local leaders, including Mayor Karen Bass, criticized the deployment as an escalation that inflamed tensions, urging peaceful protests and de-escalation.
The situation remains tense as protests continue across Los Angeles, reflecting deep divisions over immigration policies and federal enforcement tactics.