Trump authorizes National Guard over L.A.-area protests against immigration raids

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 07, 2025 6:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 11 hours ago

U.S. President Donald Trump has authorized 2,000 California National Guard troops — contempt the governor's objections — to the Los Angeles area, wherever protests connected Saturday led to clashes betwixt migration authorities and demonstrators.

The White House said successful a statement Saturday that Trump was deploying the National Guard to "address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester" successful California.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, objected to the determination and said successful a station connected X the determination from the Republican president was "purposefully inflammatory and volition lone escalate tensions."

The White House's determination to dramatically ratchet up the effect came arsenic protests successful Paramount, Calif., extended into a 2nd time with tear state and fume filling the aerial arsenic protesters faced disconnected with Border Patrol unit successful riot gear.

Trump federalized portion of the state's National Guard nether what is known arsenic Title 10 authority, which places him, not the governor, atop the concatenation of command, Newsom told The Associated Press.

PHOTOS | U.S. migration authorities clash with California protesters:

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said successful a connection the enactment the migration authorities were doing erstwhile met with protestation is "essential to halting and reversing the penetration of amerciable criminals into the United States. In the aftermath of this violence, California's feckless Democrat leaders person wholly abdicated their work to support their citizens."

The president's determination came soon aft helium issued a menace connected his societal media web that said if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass didn't "do their jobs," past "the Federal Government volition measurement successful and lick the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the mode it should beryllium solved!!!"

In a awesome of the administration's assertive approach, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened successful a station connected X to deploy the U.S. military.

"If unit continues, active-duty Marines astatine Camp Pendleton volition besides beryllium mobilized — they are connected precocious alert," Hegseth said.

Newsom said successful his connection connected societal media that section authorities "are capable to entree instrumentality enforcement assistance astatine a moment's notice," and "there is presently nary unmet need."

"This is the incorrect ngo and volition erode nationalist trust," helium added.

It comes aft the Los Angeles Police Department issued a connection saying the protests had mostly remained peaceful, adding "irritants" released into the assemblage by national agents caused information concerns for responding officers. 

'ICE retired of Paramount'

Earlier, U.S. Border Patrol unit successful riot cogwheel and state masks stood defender extracurricular an concern parkland in Paramount — roughly 29 kilometres southbound of Los Angeles — deploying teardrop state arsenic bystanders and protesters gathered connected medians and crossed the street, immoderate jeering astatine authorities portion signaling the events connected smartphones.

"ICE retired of Paramount. We spot you for what you are," a pistillate announced done a megaphone, referring to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "You are not invited here."

One hand-held motion said, "No Human Being Is Illegal."

Smoke roseate from burning shrubbery and garbage successful the street, and demonstrators kicked astatine a Border Patrol vehicle. A boulevard was closed to postulation arsenic Border Patrol agents circulated done the area.

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted a connection connected societal media addressing "L.A. rioters" and informing that interference with migration enforcement volition not beryllium tolerated.

ICE officers executed hunt warrants astatine aggregate locations connected Friday, including extracurricular a covering warehouse successful the manner district. The enactment came aft a justice recovered probable origin the leader was utilizing fictitious documents for immoderate of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney's Office.

A tense country unfolded extracurricular arsenic a assemblage tried to artifact agents from driving away.

Advocates for migrant rights accidental radical were detained connected Friday by migration authorities extracurricular Home Depot stores and a doughnut shop.

Homeland Security said in a connection that caller ICE operations successful the Los Angeles country resulted successful the apprehension of 118 immigrants.

'Set them free, fto them stay'

Following the arrests connected Friday, protesters gathered successful the evening extracurricular a national detention centre in Los Angeles, wherever lawyers said those arrested had been taken, chanting "Set them free, fto them stay!"

Some held signs with anti-ICE slogans, and others scrawled graffiti connected the building.

Among those arrested astatine the protests was David Huerta, determination president of the Service Employees International Union. Justice Department spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy confirmed that Huerta was being held connected Saturday astatine the Metropolitan Detention Center successful Los Angeles up of a scheduled Monday tribunal appearance.

It wasn't wide whether Huerta had ineligible representation.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for his contiguous release. In a societal media post, helium cited a "disturbing signifier of arresting and detaining American citizens for exercising their close to escaped speech."

The migration arrests travel arsenic U.S. President Donald Trump and his medication propulsion to fulfil promises of wide deportations crossed the country.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the enactment was meant to "sow terror" successful the nation's second-largest city.

In a connection connected Saturday, ICE acting manager Todd Lyons chided Bass for the city's effect to protests.

"Mayor Bass took the broadside of chaos and lawlessness implicit instrumentality enforcement," Lyons said successful a statement. "Make nary mistake, ICE volition proceed to enforce our nation's migration laws and apprehension transgression amerciable aliens."