NATIONAL Guard troops have clashed with protesters against immigration raids in LA, with US President Donald Trump vowing to “send whatever is needed”.
Some 300 troops in tactical gear armed with long guns descended on the Californian city on the orders of Trump following two days of protests that began on Friday.
The National Guard arrived in LA early Sunday morning as the city braced for violent clashes over ICE immigration raids.
Shocking images show groups of demonstrators facing off with National Guard members and cops.
As the protests continue to unfold, Trump vowed to reporters that his administration would “send whatever we need to make sure there’s law and order”.
He added: “Last night in Los Angeles we watched it very closely, there was a lot of violence there and it could have got much worse.
“We’re going to be watching [the protests] very closely.”
The President later wrote on his Truth Social platform that “violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations”.
He explained that he is directing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, Defence Sec Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi to “take all such necessary action” to “put an end to these Migrant riots”.
Trump added: “Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free.”
The first unit was deployed from San Bernardino County and assembled outside a Downtown LA detention center on Sunday morning.
Tensions escalated between police and protesters after sweeping raids by ICE agents, after more than 100 immigrant arrests in the city over the past week.
Some police patrolled the streets on horseback while others with riot gear lined up behind Guard troops deployed to protect federal facilities including a detention center where some immigrants were taken in recent days.
By midday, hundreds had gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, where people were detained after earlier immigration raids.
Protesters directed chants of “shame” and “go home” at members of the National Guard, who stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields.
After some protesters closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street.
Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully.
Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 freeway until California Highway Patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon.
“The presence of the Guard was inflaming tensions” in the city, according to a letter sent to Trump by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday afternoon.
He formerly requested Trump remove the guard members, which he called a “serious breach of state sovereignty”.
Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass said the arrival of troops was a “dangerous escalation”.
She said: “We do not want to play in to the [Trump] administration’s hands.”
“What we’re seeing in Los Angeles is chaos provoked by the administration.
“I want the people of LA to know that we stand with all Angelinos, no matter where you were born.”
A prominent SEIU union leader was arrested while protesting and accused of impeding law enforcement.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has made 29 arrests – most for failing to disperse, according to CBS News.
And, according to the US Northern Command, the California Military Department has “deployed approximately 300 soldiers to three separate locations” in the greater LA area.
Ahead of the planned protest near City Hall, troops were seen moving through the streets of Paramount.
It comes after Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to LA in response to what he called “two days of violence, clashes and unrest”.
The deployment marked the first time in six decades that a state’s National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
California Governor Gavin Newsom opposed Trump’s order, accusing the President of a “complete overreaction” designed to create a spectacle of force.
A statement from the White House Saturday said Trump was allowed to deploy federal service members when there is ”a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.”
The order came after demonstrators tried to block Border Patrol vehicles, with some hurling rocks and chunks of cement.
In response, agents in riot gear unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a post on X: “We are not intimidated or apprehensive.
“Illegal immigration operations will continue, and anyone using violence to obstruct or impede these operations will be investigated and prosecuted.”
“Multiple arrests” have already been made after protests in LA and New York, he added.
Bongino issued a stern warning: “It will not end well for you if you choose violence. Choose wisely.”
Trump’s immigration chief, Tom Homan, said on Saturday: “We are going to bring the National Guard in tonight. We are making Los Angeles safer.”
On Truth Social, Trump blasted California’s government as “incompetent”, adding that masks will “no longer be allowed” to be worn at protests.
House Speaker Mike Johnson has backed Trump’s call of deploying National Guard troops to LA.
He told ABC News: “I think the president did exactly what he needed to do. That is real leadership and he has the authority and the responsibility to do it.
“These are federal laws, we need to maintain the rule of law, and that is not what is happening.”
The president’s troop deployment came after some protesters hurled flaming projectiles, set cars ablaze, and swarmed federal vehicles in response to raids on undocumented migrants.
The confrontations mainly took place in the predominantly Latino suburb of Paramount.
The area – which is over 80 per cent Hispanic – has become a flashpoint for opposition to the raids.
Tear gas and flash-bang grenades were used to disperse crowds, particularly outside a Home Depot in Paramount, where agents had established a staging area.
Protesters threw flaming projectiles, blocked roads with shopping carts, and set fires.
Footage showed one demonstrator being knocked to the ground as they tried to stop an ICE vehicle, which then sped off.
“ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,” one woman said through a megaphone.
Elsewhere, trains were halted after protesters jumped on the tracks near an immigration detention centre.
And organisers reportedly called for more protests on Sunday.
Trump’s “border tsar” Homan has warned that someone could “lose their life” if the clashes continue.
He told NBC: “It’s a matter of time before someone gets seriously hurt.
“If this violence continues, someone’s going to lose their life.”
As of early Sunday, clashes between cops and demonstrators were ongoing.
The New York Times reported escalating tensions in Paramount, with fireworks aimed at officers and pepper-spray projectiles used in response.
LAPD said unrest continues downtown, with arrests made for violating dispersal orders and some roads closed.
NBC News reported that protests were winding down, with small groups still in the streets, though the exact location was unclear.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, meanwhile, told CNN that two deputies were injured during Saturday’s protests and were treated at a local hospital before being released with non-life-threatening injuries.
While the department had no confirmed reports of injuries to protesters, it noted that a Hyundai was burned and a fire at a strip mall was quickly put out.
According to Homeland Security officials, 118 undocumented individuals have been arrested in Los Angeles this week, including 44 on Friday.
Federal authorities claim the arrests include gang members and individuals considered national security risks.
The White House described the demonstrations as violent and accused California officials of failing to maintain order.
“These operations are essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States,” a statement said.
“That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.”
The interim US attorney for the Central District of California
Bill Essayli added that the National Guard is needed to “regain order”.
He told the New York Times: “The state has an obligation to maintain order and maintain public safety, and they’re unable to do that right now in Los Angeles.”
California Governor Newsom blasted the move, accusing the federal government of inflaming tensions.
He warned on social media: “This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.”
But Trump fired back on Truth Social, writing: “If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs… then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”
Newsom and Trump reportedly spoke for 40 minutes by phone on Saturday, though details of their conversation have not been disclosed.
That same evening, Trump attended the UFC 316 event in Newark, New Jersey.
Under federal law, the president can deploy the National Guard for missions including the “suppression of rebellion”.
Critics argue that such actions, particularly in local jurisdictions, risk escalating tensions rather than calming them.
Mayor Karen Bass also denounced the raids, saying: “These tactics sow terror in our communities.”
Her remarks were sharply rebuked by ICE and DHS officials.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said: “Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement.”
Homeland Security accused some Democratic officials of inciting violence against agents, with Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin stating: “This violence against ICE must end.”
Angelica Salas, head of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said at a rally: “Our community is under attack and is being terrorised. These are workers. These are fathers. These are mothers. And this has to stop.”
Local officials in Paramount expressed frustration with the federal operation.
Mayor Peggy Lemons said she was not informed of the Home Depot raids ahead of time.
“There is no communication and things are done on a whim. And that creates chaos and fear,” she told the Los Angeles Times.
Meanwhile, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth confirmed that “active duty Marines” are also on “high alert”, ready to mobilize if the violence continues.
Threatening to send in the Marines, Hegseth said: “The violent mob assaults on ICE and Federal Law Enforcement are designed to prevent the removal of Criminal Illegal Aliens from our soil… and a huge NATIONAL SECURITY RISK.”
On Saturday night, the Los Angeles Police Department said that most demonstrations had remained peaceful.
“We commend all those who exercised their First Amendment rights responsibly,” the LAPD said.
The department added that it remained “fully prepared” to respond to any civil unrest.
Despite some calm returning to Paramount, federal law enforcement officers maintained a heavy presence in the area.
Source : https://www.the-sun.com/news/14424780/trump-troops-la-protests-ice-raids/