The California National Guard has been deployed to Los Angeles in response to two days of protests against recent immigration raids, a move ordered by President Donald Trump.
The deployment comes after hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets, voicing their opposition to Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
On Sunday morning, National Guard members were seen assembling at a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, where detainees from the immigration operations carried out on Friday had been taken.
The situation escalated over the weekend, prompting further protests, including a scheduled event outside Los Angeles City Hall on Sunday afternoon.
U.S. Northern Command has confirmed that National Guard troops have begun deploying to the area, with some already on the ground as tensions rise.
President Trump took to his Truth Social platform on Sunday to denounce the protests, stating, “These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the president’s actions, asserting that Trump was more interested in creating a spectacle than addressing real issues.
Video footage revealed military-style vehicles and riot shields stationed outside the federal building where protests had gathered, with the Department of Homeland Security claiming that approximately “1,000 rioters” participated in demonstrations on Friday.
However, this claim has not been independently verified by Reuters.
On Saturday, law enforcement encountered a few hundred protesters in Paramount, southeast of Los Angeles, before facing off with approximately 100 individuals in downtown Los Angeles later that day.
In an attempt to disperse crowds, federal law enforcement reportedly used gas canisters in both locations.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 27 individuals on Saturday for failing to disperse, according to police spokesperson Norma Eisenman, who refrained from commenting on whether less lethal force was utilized.
“Less lethal force” refers to crowd control tactics such as the use of pepper balls.
Additionally, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department made three arrests on suspicion of assaulting an officer during the protests.
According to Sheriff’s spokesperson Deputy Brenda Serna, deputies employed “less lethal force” in Paramount, but failed to specify which tactics were used.
These protests illustrate a stark divide between Democratic-led Los Angeles, a city with a significant Hispanic and foreign-born population, and the Trump administration, which has taken an aggressive stance on immigration control as a key component of its policy agenda.
In a memorandum issued on Saturday, Trump stated that he was deploying at least 2,000 National Guard personnel due to what he described as “numerous incidents of violence and disorder” related to immigration law enforcement and “credible threats of continued violence.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has indicated that the Pentagon is prepared to mobilize active-duty troops if violence persists in Los Angeles, signaling that Marines stationed at nearby Camp Pendleton are “on high alert.”
Hegseth emphasized that while there is room for peaceful protest, there will be a “ZERO tolerance for attacking federal agents who are doing their job,” asserting that the National Guard and, if necessary, Marines, would stand with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Democratic Congresswoman Nanette Barragan, who represents California’s Paramount district, condemned Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops, stating that local law enforcement has sufficient resources to handle the situation.
She argued that the president’s actions could further escalate the already tense atmosphere surrounding immigration enforcement discussions.
In a discussion on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the National Guard would focus on ensuring safety for buildings, peaceful protesters, and law enforcement personnel during the ongoing demonstrations.
Following the immigration operations carried out on Friday, ICE reported the arrest of at least 44 individuals for alleged immigration violations in Los Angeles.
President Trump has committed to deporting unprecedented numbers of undocumented immigrants and tightening security along the U.S.-Mexico border, setting ambitious targets for ICE to apprehend at least 3,000 migrants per day.
However, this sweeping immigration crackdown has faced criticism and led to various legal challenges, impacting even those who are legally residing in the country.
image source from：https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/trump-sends-national-guard-to-los-angeles-amid-protests-against-immigration-raids-2737721-2025-06-08
