President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, California, as protests and clashes erupt following an immigration crackdown.
The announcement from the White House on Saturday highlighted the escalating tensions in what is the United States’ second most populous city, with officials citing a need to address the ‘lawlessness’ they attribute to the recent immigration enforcement actions.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated that the Pentagon stands ready to mobilize active-duty troops if violence persists, noting that Marines stationed at nearby Camp Pendleton are currently ‘on high alert.’
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized this federal decision, describing it as ‘purposefully inflammatory.’ In a post on X, he stated that the deployment was not due to a lack of law enforcement but rather a desire for a ‘spectacle.’ He urged citizens to resist violence and advocate for peaceful expressions of dissent.
The protests intensified over the weekend, with security personnel in riot gear clashing with hundreds of demonstrators in southeast Los Angeles’ Paramount area. Law enforcement deployed tear gas to disperse crowds that were protesting against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions, amid scenes of chaos that included overturned shopping carts and violence.
Protesters, some waving the Mexican flag and equipped with respiratory masks, threw rocks, bottles, and fireworks at security forces, while there were reports of a vehicle being set alight. This unrest coincided with ongoing ICE raids in the community, specifically targeting locations near a home improvement store.
The situation escalated further after ICE agents conducted raids the previous night, resulting in the arrest of at least 44 individuals on allegations of immigration violations. In response, a group of protesters gathered outside a federal detention center where those arrested were being processed, chanting, ‘Set them free, let them stay!’
Many demonstrators displayed anti-ICE placards and some engaged in vandalism on the facility. The White House characterized the protesters as ‘violent mobs’ and accused them of attacking ICE officers as they enforce deportations deemed necessary for national security.
Referring to the protests as an impediment to law enforcement efforts, the White House reiterated the importance of these operations in ‘halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States.’ Criticism was directed towards what the White House described as California’s ‘feckless Democrat leaders’ for failing to safeguard their citizens during these times of unrest.
This federal intervention follows a pointed message from President Trump on social media, where he threatened that if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did not fulfill their responsibilities, the federal government would intervene decisively, suggesting an aggressive response to ‘RIOTS & LOOTERS.’
It remains uncertain when the National Guard troops will be deployed, but Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, indicated they would be sent to Los Angeles on Saturday.
In comments reported by Al Jazeera, the decision to deploy the National Guard raised significant concerns, especially given that it marks the first such deployment in Los Angeles since the civil unrest following the Rodney King police beating in 1992.
According to officials from the governor’s office, President Trump exercised what is known as Title 10 authority to federalize part of California’s National Guard, placing him at the helm of the chain of command for the troops’ deployment rather than Governor Newsom.
Newsom reiterated in his social media post that local authorities currently have access to law enforcement resources whenever needed and that there is ‘no unmet need’ for federal intervention. He condemned the deployment as misguided, warning it could further erode public trust in law enforcement.
This immigration crackdown aligns with President Trump’s broader agenda to increase deportations and tighten border security. Under his guidance, ICE has been tasked with arresting at least 3,000 migrants per day, yet there are growing concerns over the impact of such aggressive tactics on lawful residents, leading to numerous legal challenges.
image source from：https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/8/trump-deploys-national-guard-to-quell-protests-against-ice-in-los-angeles
