In a dramatic escalation of tensions, U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, following violent protests triggered by immigration raids that left at least 44 detained.
Clashes broke out on Saturday in the Paramount area of southeast L.A., where demonstrators , some waving Mexican flags , faced off against federal agents. Later that evening, a smaller protest downtown drew around 60 people, chanting slogans like “ICE out of L.A.!”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed the Pentagon is prepared to activate active-duty troops if unrest continues, with nearby Marines already placed on high alert. Footage from the protest sites showed federal agents in gas masks confronting demonstrators, as tear gas filled the streets and several protesters were detained.
President Trump, in a presidential memorandum, justified the National Guard deployment as a response to “lawlessness.” On Truth Social, he criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, threatening to bring federal solutions to what he called “RIOTS & LOOTERS.”
Governor Newsom condemned the move as a “spectacle” and urged peaceful resistance. Mayor Bass decried the immigration raids as tactics of “terror,” vowing that L.A. will not tolerate them.
Vice President JD Vance and senior aide Stephen Miller referred to the protests as a “violent insurrection,” although the Insurrection Act has not yet been invoked. DHS claimed around 1,000 rioters were involved in Friday's unrest, but rights groups disputed that account and raised concerns over lack of legal access to those detained.
The protests erupted following ICE raids targeting day laborers and undocumented workers near Home Depot stores, garment factories, and warehouses. Civil rights advocates say legal residents have also been caught in the dragnet, fueling outrage and legal challenges.
As Trump pushes for record deportations — aiming for 3,000 arrests daily — the backlash from Democratic leaders and immigrant communities continues to intensify.
