The Biden administration announced the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Saturday following clashes between federal immigration agents and hundreds of protesters protesting a series of immigration raids.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that if violence continues, active-duty military personnel could be mobilized, with the nearby Marine Corps base Camp Pendleton placed on high alert.
On Saturday, federal officers faced off against demonstrators in Paramount, southeast of Los Angeles, where some protesters waved Mexican flags. Later that evening, a second demonstration unfolded downtown, drawing around 60 participants chanting slogans such as “ICE out of Los Angeles!”
The White House issued a statement confirming President Donald Trump signed a memorandum authorizing the National Guard deployment “to address the ongoing lawlessness.” Tom Homan, Trump’s border chief, told Fox News that the Guard would arrive Saturday to assist.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move, calling it “deliberate provocation.” He wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that the deployment was not due to law enforcement shortages but an attempt “to stage a spectacle.” He urged protesters to remain peaceful, stating, “Never resort to violence.”
Newsom also criticized Defense Secretary Hegseth for threatening to deploy active-duty Marines against U.S. citizens on American soil, labeling it “insane.”
Trump responded on his Truth Social platform, warning that if Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass fail to manage the situation, “the federal government will step in and solve the problem — dealing with riots and looting in the right way!!!”
The protests took place in Los Angeles, a Democratic stronghold with a large Hispanic and immigrant population, while the Trump administration continues its hardline immigration crackdown as a hallmark of its second term.
Protests Labeled “Insurrection”
Vice President JD Vance called the demonstrators “insurrectionists carrying foreign flags attacking immigration enforcement officers,” blaming half of America’s political leadership for opposing border enforcement.
Senior White House advisor Stephen Miller described the protests as a “violent insurrection.”
Two U.S. officials confirmed to Reuters that the Insurrection Act has not been invoked. The National Guard can deploy rapidly — sometimes within 24 hours — and the Pentagon is working to source the 2,000 troops.
The 1807 Insurrection Act allows the president to deploy military forces domestically to suppress civil unrest. The last use was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots at the California governor’s request.
Video from Paramount showed dozens of security personnel in green uniforms and gas masks lined up on a road littered with overturned shopping carts, deploying tear gas canisters to disperse protesters. Several arrests were made, according to Reuters eyewitnesses.
Los Angeles police posted on X that “multiple people have been detained for failing to disperse after multiple warnings,” though no further details or official arrest counts were provided.
Protester Ron Gochez, 44, said, “Now they know they cannot go anywhere in this country and kidnap our workers without facing organized and fierce resistance.”
Background of the Protests
The unrest began Friday night after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted raids across the city, arresting at least 44 individuals suspected of immigration violations.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said roughly “1,000 rioters” participated in Friday’s protests, though Reuters could not independently verify that figure.
Angelica Salas, executive director of immigrant rights group CHIRLA, said lawyers have not been able to access detainees, calling it “very worrying.”
Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
President Trump has vowed to deport record numbers of undocumented immigrants and tighten border security, setting an ICE target of arresting at least 3,000 migrants daily.
However, the enforcement operation has also affected some legal residents, prompting legal challenges.
ICE, DHS, and the Los Angeles Police Department did not respond to requests for comment on Saturday’s raids or protests.
News footage Friday showed unmarked vehicles resembling military transports and vans carrying uniformed federal agents moving through Los Angeles.
Raids targeted Home Depot parking lots, where day laborers and street vendors were detained, as well as a garment factory and warehouse, CHIRLA reported.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the immigration raids, stating: “I am deeply angered by what has taken place. These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt the basic safety of our city. We will not stand for this.”
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