The immigration protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles entered their fourth day on Monday.
Tensions escalated in parts of the city on Sunday, as thousands of protesters took to the streets to oppose President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard. Protesters blocked a major highway and set several self-driving vehicles on fire. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbangs to control the crowds.
On Monday, California filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration for deploying the National Guard without consulting Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom called the move “illegal and immoral” on social media. In a follow-up post Monday morning, Newsom accused Trump of “illegally federalizing the National Guard” and confirmed, “We are suing him.”
Officials reported that as of midday Monday, 53 people had been arrested. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) arrested 31 people on charges including failure to disperse, throwing objects and fireworks at officers, robbery, and arson. The California Highway Patrol and Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told CBS they had arrested 17 and 5 people respectively.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell responded Sunday to complaints about the police’s slow response to the unrest.
“We cannot in any way participate in civil immigration enforcement,” McDonnell said, reminding reporters that police must comply with California’s Values Act (SB 54), a sanctuary city law prohibiting local and state law enforcement from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement.
As night fell on Sunday, many protesters dispersed after police declared the gathering unlawful. Officers then moved in and arrested those who remained.
Some of the remaining protesters threw objects from behind temporary barricades stretched across the streets. Others hurled concrete blocks, stones, electric scooters, and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles parked on the southbound 101 Freeway, which had been closed. Police took cover under an overpass.
CBS Los Angeles reported multiple trash cans and dumpsters set on fire. At least one store window was smashed, suspected to be by looters. Dozens of buildings were graffitied, including LAPD headquarters, a federal courthouse, and the former Los Angeles Times building.
CBS Los Angeles news helicopter footage showed multiple broken windows at police headquarters.
Protests Erupt After Mass Arrests in Downtown LA
On June 8, 2025, protesters gathered near the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles opposing the federal immigration crackdown, as police stood guard amid smoke and chaos.
In San Francisco, police reported arresting 60 people Sunday evening. Officers said the crowd initially participated in a First Amendment activity but then engaged in offenses ranging from assaults to felony vandalism and property damage. Despite declaring the gathering unlawful, some continued illegal acts. Two officers were injured but their injuries were not life-threatening. Protesters damaged buildings, a police car, and other property, leading to arrests for failing to disperse.
Protests Escalate in Los Angeles
Sunday’s protests centered in several downtown LA neighborhoods in this city of 4 million. It was the third and most intense day of demonstrations against President Trump’s immigration crackdown. The arrival of about 300 National Guard members sparked anger and fear among residents.
The Guard was tasked with protecting federal buildings, including the detention center where protesters congregated.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said police were “overwhelmed” by remaining protesters, some of whom were agitators known for causing trouble at demonstrations.
Dozens were arrested over the weekend.
ICE Raids Continue in Los Angeles
On June 8, 2025, near the downtown metropolitan detention center, protesters threw objects at police vehicles. A California Highway Patrol officer removed an electric scooter from a car on the freeway.
President Trump responded to McDonnell on “Truth Social,” urging the arrest of masked protesters.
“LA is a mess. Send the troops!” he wrote.
National Guard troops stood shoulder to shoulder from early morning, armed with rifles and riot shields, while protesters shouted “Shame” and “Go home.” When some Guard members advanced, uniformed officers fired smoke canisters into the crowd.
Minutes later, LAPD deployed multiple crowd-control munitions to disperse protesters declared to be unlawfully assembled. Most then moved to block traffic on the 101 Freeway until state patrol officers cleared the roadway by evening.
At least four Waymo self-driving cars caught fire nearby, sending thick black smoke into the sky and occasionally exploding. Police issued unlawful assembly orders and shut down several downtown blocks.
As night fell, the sound of flashbangs echoed every few seconds.
Thousands of National Guard and Hundreds of Marines Mobilized
The military announced on Monday the mobilization of an additional 2,000 California National Guard troops to respond to protests.
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said Monday evening that the reinforcements “have been federalized to support ICE and allow federal law enforcement to safely perform their duties.”
The President called up 2,000 National Guard troops Saturday night to protect federal personnel and property.
US Northern Command said about 700 active-duty Marines would also assist the Guard, possibly arriving Tuesday. The Marines are stationed at Twenty-nine Palms, east of Los Angeles.
How the Protests Began
Before the Guard’s arrival, protests had already lasted two days, beginning Friday in downtown Los Angeles and spreading Saturday to Paramount and neighboring Compton, cities with large Latino populations.
Federal agents arrested multiple immigrants at various locations on Friday, including the Fashion District and a Home Depot parking lot. On Saturday, agents gathered near a Homeland Security office by another Home Depot in Paramount, sparking suspicion of more raids. Authorities later said no enforcement occurred there.
Officials said over 100 immigrants have been arrested in the LA area over the past week. More arrests occurred during protests, including a prominent union leader charged with obstruction.
Officials Speak Out
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom demanded the removal of the troops Sunday afternoon, calling the deployment a “serious violation of state sovereignty.” He met with local law enforcement and officials in Los Angeles.
This deployment marks a rare use of the National Guard by a president without a governor’s request in decades, a significant escalation against those obstructing large-scale deportations.
Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed the President’s deployment for intensifying tensions and urged protesters to remain peaceful.
“The chaos we see in LA was caused by the government,” Bass said at a press conference. “This is for another purpose, unrelated to public safety.”
LAPD Chief McDonnell said the protests followed a pattern typical of civil unrest, worsening on the second and third days.
He disputed Trump administration claims that LAPD failed to assist federal authorities during Friday’s immigration raids, saying his department responded as quickly as possible and had no prior notice to prepare for protests.
Newsom repeatedly asserted state authorities have the situation under control. He mocked Trump for congratulating the National Guard on social media before troops arrived and said the President never mentioned deployment in a Friday call. Newsom called Trump “a complete liar” on MSNBC.
These warnings did not stop the government.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson stated, “Newsom’s claim that there were no problems in LA before President Trump’s intervention is a blatant lie.”
California Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters strongly condemned the President’s National Guard deployment Sunday, calling it “appalling” and “terrifying.” She said she believes Trump is using sanctuary city Los Angeles as an example.
“He is using deportations to cement his standing with right-wingers who do not want this country to be a nation of immigrants,” Waters told reporters outside the Metropolitan Detention Center. “I believe he is planning martial law.”
Former Vice President Kamala Harris also denounced the Trump administration’s actions in Los Angeles Sunday, calling the National Guard deployment “a dangerous escalation intended to cause chaos.”
“In addition to recent ICE raids in Southern California and nationwide, this is a cruel, calculated plan by the Trump administration to spread fear and division,” said Harris, a former California senator and attorney general. “This administration’s actions are not about public safety but about terrorizing a community that demands dignity and due process.”
Context and Historical Comparisons
The scale of these protests is smaller than past demonstrations that prompted National Guard deployment in Los Angeles, such as the Watts riots, Rodney King riots, and the 2020 protests against police violence — events during which Governor Newsom requested federal assistance.
According to the Brennan Center for Justice, the last time the National Guard was deployed without a governor’s approval was in 1965, when President Lyndon Johnson sent troops to protect civil rights marchers in Alabama.
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