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Protests erupted across Los Angeles after immigration agents arrested at least 44 people in the city on Friday. Smoke bombs and tear gas canisters were hurled to curb protests.
Trump administration doubled down on its immigration crackdow n amid protests in Los Angeles. (AFP)
US President Donald Trump has deployed 2,000 National Guard troops in Los Angeles as angry protesters clashed with federal immigration authorities for the second day on Saturday, as the administration ramped up the detentions of undocumented migrants in the city.
Trump issued a dire warning to the protesters, saying the federal government will step in and solve the problem if Los Angeles Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass are unable to do their jobs.
“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!!!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that 2,000 National Guard troops will be sent to Los Angeles to arrest protesters. “The mob violence will be quelled, the criminals responsible will be brought to justice, and operations to arrest illegal aliens will continue unabated,” she said on X.
“Insurrectionists carrying foreign flags are attacking immigration enforcement officers, while one half of America’s political leadership has decided that border enforcement is evil. Time to pass President Trump’s beautiful bill and further secure the border,” said US Vice President JD Vance.
What Is Happening In Los Angeles?
Protests erupted across Los Angeles, California, after federal immigration authorities arrested at least 44 people in the city on Friday, prompting law enforcement to hurl smoke bombs and flash bangs to disperse the crowd that voiced their opposition on the streets against the detentions.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside a federal detention centre in Los Angeles, where they believed those arrested had been taken, chanting, “Set them free, let them stay!” Other protesters held signs that said “ICE out of LA!” while others led chants and shouted from megaphones.
The protests continued for a second day, as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents clashed with angry protesters in in the suburb of Paramount, where demonstrators had gathered near a Home Depot that was being used as a staging area by federal immigration officials, according to reports.
Some protestors were seen waving Mexican flags during protests against ICE on Saturday while others set a US flag on fire. Cement blocks and overturned shopping carts were used as roadblocks, as normal life was disrupted.
“An insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States,” White House deputy chief of staff and anti-immigration hardliner Stephen Miller said on X.
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as protesters and activists rush onto the freeway, desperately trying to block and stop a federal bus📌#Paramount | #California
Watch as chaos unfolds in Paramount, California, where dozens of activists and protesters storm onto the freeway, desperately… pic.twitter.com/fkuaQPBwr4
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) June 7, 2025
Federal agents in riot gear and gas masks deployed flash-bang grenades and tear gas to disperse the crowd. Authorities have warned that those involved will face prosecution. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed that multiple arrests were made after Friday’s clashes.
Trump Officials Clash With LA Authorities
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Governor Gavin Newsom criticised the federal government’s decision to deploy 2,000 troops in city, calling the move “purposefully inflammatory” and said it would only escalate tensions. “This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust,” he said.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticised the immigration raids and arrests, but said violence and destruction were unacceptable. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,” she said in a statement on Friday.
Trump officials brushed aside the criticisms made by Bass, saying she had no role in the immigration raids. Tom Homan, Trump’s Border Czar, told Fox News: “We are making Los Angeles safer. Mayor (Karen) Bass should be thanking us.”
Miller, who grew up in LA’s Santa Monica, insisted on social media platform X that Bass had “no say in this at all”, as federal law is supreme and will be enforced.
Since taking office in January, Trump has delivered on a promise to crack down hard on the entry and presence of undocumented migrants. However, his “heavy-handed” approach to illegal immigration has sparked controversy, with naturalised US citizens being swept up in the crackdown.
(with agency inputs)
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international…Read More
Aveek Banerjee is a Senior Sub Editor at News18. Based in Noida with a Master’s in Global Studies, Aveek has more than three years of experience in digital media and news curation, specialising in international… Read More
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Los Angeles, United States of America (USA)
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