Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after an immigration crackdown erupted into mass protests on Saturday.
The first troops arrived on Sunday morning, with around 300 being dispersed over three locations in Greater Los Angeles. Footage has shown protesters throwing rocks at law enforcement vehicles and others trying to get in the way of a Marshals Service bus after more than a hundred arrests were made.
On Sunday the violence continued, with state authorities urging calm and blasting the president for the “unnecessary” action that was designed to create “chaos” and “a spectacle.”
Here, the Independent breaks down what you need to know about the unrest in LA.
How did the protest start?
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducted search warrants at multiple locations on Friday.
One search was executed outside a clothing warehouse in the Fashion District, after a judge found probable cause that the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the US Attorney’s Office.
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Crowds tried to stop ICE agents from driving away following the arrests.
Another protest was sparked outside a federal building in downtown LA, after demonstrators discovered detainees were allegedly being held in the basement of the building.
Protests then erupted in Paramount, LA, after it appeared federal law enforcement officers were conducting another immigration operation in the area. The protests also spread to the nearby city of Compton. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna stated that as many as 400 people were involved in the demonstration.
The ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrests of 118 immigrants this week, including 44 people in Friday’s operations, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The arrests led to protesters gathering outside a federal detention center, chanting, “Set them free, let them stay!”
Why is Trump deploying the National Guard?
On Saturday, Trump ordered the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard troops to LA.
“If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!” he wrote on his Truth Social platform on Saturday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also wrote on social media that the “federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers. That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.”
He added deployment is “the wrong mission and will erode public trust.”
The state National Guard has not been federalized by a president, overriding a governor, since 1965.
How have things progressed since?
On Sunday the first national guard troops arrived in areas of Los Angeles, including in Paramount – but also in the downtown area. According to the U.S. Northern Command, 300 troops had been dispersed over three locations in the Greater Los Angeles Area.
Footage shared online showed an escalation in the clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement with police in riot gear using tear gas to disperse people.
Other video showed protesters throwing fireworks and other projectiles at officers. Vehicles have been set on fire and graffiti reading “f*** ICE” has been sprayed in multiple locations.
By late Sunday morning the LAPD had already made 29 arrests, with law enforcement braced for “several more protests” in the city throughout the day. A police source told CBS that city officials “are supportive of immigrant rights” and described the current situation a “no win” for law enforcement.
Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told The Independent that just two arrests had been made in the city of Paramount on Saturday. The city’s Democratic representative Nanette Barragán told CNN’s State of the Union that she is being told to prepare for “30 days of ICE enforcement.”
Over on the east coast around 20 anti-ICE protesters were also led away by police in New York, following demonstrations in lower Manhattan. ABC7 reported that dozens of protesters were out for hours at Federal Plaza on Sunday, calling out concerns about ICE detainments.
Earlier on Sunday, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino confirmed arrests had been made in New York as well as Los Angeles, warning protesters to “choose wisely.”
What has the reaction been?
Newsom and Bass have both continued to speak out against the president’s decision to deploy the troops, describing it as “unnecessary” and an attempt by the administration to create “chaos.”
In a statement put out via email the governor said that Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth “want a spectacle” and violence.
“We have been working closely with law enforcement. There is no unmet need. The President is attempting to inflame passions and provoke a response,” he wrote. “He would like nothing more than for this provocative show of force — and Pete Hegseth’s absurd threat to deploy United States Marines on American soil – to escalate tensions and incite violence.
“They want a spectacle. They want the violence. They think this is good for them politically.”
Newsom added: “This is not the way a civilized country behaves. It is completely deranged behavior. Don’t give them the spectacle they want. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully and in large numbers.”
Speaking to KTLA on Sunday, Bass said that Trump’s decision was unnecessary and “just political.” “I’m very disappointed. To me, this is just completely unnecessary, and I think it’s the [Trump] administration just posturing.”
Other Democrats including Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders and New Jersey Senator Corey Booker backed Newsom and Bass, with Booker describing the president’s actions as “hypocritical at best.”
Members of the Trump administration and GOP, including FBI Director Kash Patel, Speaker Mike Johnson and Homeland Security Secretary Krist Noem, rallied around the president.
Why has the Mexican flag become a symbol of the protest?
A dramatic photograph showing a masked protester biking around a blazing car in Los Angeles has rapidly become a symbol of the anti-ICE riots.
Drone footage of the masked protester, in the Hispanic-majority city, was shared on X and went viral.
Many said it gave Trump a propaganda coup as he works to deport migrants from LA and said the photo of the Mexican flag-waving protester was undermining their resistance.
Democrat supporter Armand Domalewski shared the video and claimed on X that the protestor “has to be a Republican plant”.
“This is like the perfect propaganda footage for Trump and Steven Miller. Why do people do this?” Australian political observer Drew Pavlou, wrote in response.
