US President Donald Trump has deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to the streets of Los Angeles, citing the need to quell “lawlessness” amid growing unrest over federal immigration enforcement raids.
The decision, announced on Saturday, has been condemned by California Governor Gavin Newsom as “purposefully inflammatory.”
The federal deployment followed two days of confrontations in Los Angeles, where Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations led to the arrests of over 100 undocumented migrants, including five alleged gang members. The city — home to one of the largest Latino populations in the U.S. — erupted in protest after reports emerged of flash-bang grenades and tear gas being used by federal agents against demonstrators.
Video footage from the Compton neighborhood showed a vehicle engulfed in flames at a major intersection, while other clips captured a protester in a motorcycle helmet hurling rocks at passing federal vehicles. In some areas, protesters clashed with local law enforcement, throwing fireworks and erecting makeshift barricades with cement blocks and shopping carts.
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White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the military action, saying, “President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester under California’s feckless Democratic leadership. The Trump Administration has a zero-tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when directed at law enforcement.”
However, Governor Newsom rejected the federal intervention, writing on social media: “This move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions. The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles — not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle. Don’t give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully.”
U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, Bill Essayli, confirmed that National Guard units would be deployed within 24 hours. Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that active-duty Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton were on high alert and could be mobilized if violence escalates.
Legal experts, however, questioned the move. Law professor Jessica Levinson noted that the president was operating under Title 10 — a federal statute used to activate the National Guard — rather than invoking the Insurrection Act. “The National Guard will likely serve in a support capacity,” she said, emphasizing the legal limitations of using military force for domestic policing.
The protests intensified after federal raids on Friday targeted workplaces in various parts of Los Angeles. Demonstrators gathered at what was believed to be a federal staging facility in the suburb of Paramount, leading to standoffs with law enforcement.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged that many residents were “feeling fear” in the wake of the raids. “Everyone has the right to peacefully protest,” she said, “but violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed several arrests related to the protests. “You bring chaos, and we’ll bring handcuffs. Law and order will prevail,” he said.
The situation escalated further on Saturday as some demonstrators burned U.S. flags and waved Mexican ones, according to reports from the Los Angeles Times. Federal officials have characterized the protests as an “insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States,” with White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller voicing particularly strong condemnation.