National Guard on the Streets of Los Angeles: Riots Over Trump's Immigration Policy

It all started on June 6. On that day, the federal service ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) in Los Angeles, in cooperation with the DHS (Department of Homeland Security), carried out raids as part of a campaign to combat illegal labor migration and the use of counterfeit passports. They went to the "shadow sector", where, according to the services, the labor of immigrants was actively used. We are talking about textile factories, warehouses, construction sites. During the raid, at least 44 people were detained, and about 118 in a week.

That same day, activists tried to block the agents' work. They blocked bridges and entrances to buildings. The first clashes occurred. The Los Angeles police called the protest an illegal assembly. In response, security forces used tear gas, rubber bullets, flash-bang grenades, and pepper spray.

The next day, the situation worsened. Hundreds of protesters joined the activists. They blocked exits from federal buildings and parking lots, threw large rocks at employees and official vehicles. Axios reports hundreds of arrests.

"Violent mobs attacked ICE officers and federal law enforcement agents conducting major deportation operations in Los Angeles," White House press secretary Caroline Leavitt said, and also criticized the state for failing to protect its citizens.

US President Donald Trump has brought 2,000 California National Guard troops onto the streets. Incidentally, the last time the American leader used the National Guard was to suppress protests in Minneapolis after the police officer killed George Floyd. California Governor Gavin Newsom (Democrat) spoke out against this.

"The federal government is sowing chaos to have an excuse to escalate. That is not how any civilized country behaves," Newsom said.

It is worth noting that the protesters managed to break through to the first floor of the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, where the ICE headquarters was located. Here, SEIU California union leader David Huerta was detained.

Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons accused Mayor Karen Bass of supporting the protesters. He said it took the Los Angeles police more than two hours to respond to the attack on agents. He said more than a thousand rioters stormed the building, outnumbering the officers inside.

"What happened yesterday in Los Angeles was horrific. As rioters attacked federal ICE and law enforcement officers on the streets of Los Angeles, Mayor Bass sided with chaos and lawlessness over law and order," the statement said.

Bass, however, said she is working with federal authorities to find the best solutions. She criticized the actions of federal immigration officials, saying they are sowing terror in communities and undermining basic principles of safety. She also condemned the violence seen on the streets of the city.

“If California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass can’t do their jobs, and everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government is going to step in and solve this rioting and looting problem the way it should be solved,” Trump said, accusing the state of slowness, citing the fires .

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned the Pentagon was prepared to deploy troops “if violence continues.” Marines at Camp Pendleton have already been put on high alert.

The state's governor called the decision deliberately provocative, saying "the threat of deploying active duty Marines on American soil against our own citizens" was evidence of Hegseth's "abnormal behavior."

"Rebels waving foreign flags are attacking immigration officials while half of America's political leadership has decided that border security is evil," said Vice President J.D. Vance .

Trump demanded that the protests in Los Angeles be suppressed, thanked the National Guard for their work. He also said that from now on, wearing masks at protests is prohibited. Meanwhile, the first clashes took place in New York.

The situation in California has not stabilized. It is possible that unrest will continue, and the confrontation may escalate due to tough measures and a split in American political circles.