President Donald Trump directed thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles to help suppress violent protests opposing federal immigration enforcement.
Tensions escalated as riot-gear-clad police clashed with demonstrators hurling concrete and defacing property in protest of the administration’s aggressive crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
The confrontation, which unfolded over June 6 and 7, became one of the most intense standoffs between federal agents executing Trump’s mass arrest directives and local leaders resisting these measures.
According to the Department of Homeland Security, protesters vandalized buildings, damaged vehicles, and threw debris at officers.
Police declared the protests an unlawful assembly and responded with tear gas, pepper spray, and stun grenades. On June 7, Trump authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members, with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stating the administration would not tolerate violence, especially against law enforcement.
Leavitt condemned the protesters as “left-wing radicals” disrupting ICE and Border Patrol operations. She vowed that the unrest would be contained and immigration arrests would continue undeterred.
The move deepened the rift between federal and California officials.
Trump criticized Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for failing to control the unrest, saying federal intervention was necessary.
Governor Newsom rejected the troop deployment, warning it would inflame the situation and diminish public trust. Homeland Security reported 118 undocumented immigrants were detained during the week in Los Angeles, including individuals with criminal records.
ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, said agents were vastly outnumbered as crowds surrounded a federal building and accused Mayor Bass of siding with disorder.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell reaffirmed that the city does not support mass deportations and does not engage in immigration enforcement, citing a policy in place since 1979. Mayor Bass condemned the federal actions, pledging to work with immigrant advocacy groups and calling the tactics harmful to community safety.
FBI Director Kash Patel and other federal officials emphasized the dangers faced by agents during the protests, sharing incidents such as an officer being injured by a rock. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino urged the public to help identify violent protesters and promised further arrests.
Among those detained was union leader David Huerta, who was taken into custody while reportedly observing ICE activity. While the union defended his actions as protected speech, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli accused him of obstructing federal agents and confirmed Huerta will face charges in federal court.
Despite growing opposition and unrest, federal agencies indicated immigration enforcement would continue across the country.
ICE reported nearly 1,500 undocumented immigrants were arrested in Massachusetts as part of a larger nationwide operation.
