President Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles following riots that erupted during protests against the mass arrests of undocumented immigrants. White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt criticized California authorities as “incompetent.”
California’s Democratic Governor, Gavin Newsom, referred to the move as “deliberately inflammatory.”
Making a play on Newsom’s name, President Trump took to the Truth Social platform to state: “If California Governor Gavin Newscum and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass can’t do their jobs – and everyone knows they can’t – then the federal government will step in and address the issues of riots and looting appropriately.”
Over 40 individuals were arrested in Los Angeles yesterday (Saturday) for protesting against members of the federal immigration agency (ICE), which has been conducting sweeping operations across the U.S. to capture undocumented immigrants, as directed by President Trump.
“There have already been several arrests for obstructing our operations,” wrote FBI Assistant Director Dan Bodzino on the X platform. “More arrests are forthcoming as we review videos to identify offenders. You bring chaos, we bring handcuffs,” he added.
This morning, ICE officers convened in the suburb of Paramount, where a significant Hispanic community resides, near a Home Depot, a place where unskilled workers often seek jobs. It’s unclear if ICE agents were there to make arrests or to prepare for an operation.
BREAKING: The Trump administration is deploying the California National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles over immigration operations, which have led to clashes between demonstrators and authorities. https://t.co/JMxEozHchF pic.twitter.com/ODGAYCmM2O
— ABC News (@ABC) June 8, 2025
As their presence was noticed, tensions escalated, prompting the sheriff’s office to deploy officers to restore order. Protesters threw objects at officers and attempted to block a bus from departing. Police responded with tear gas and flash-bang grenades to disperse the crowd.
Hours later, streets were strewn with debris and overturned shopping carts, as reported by television coverage, which also highlighted that some protesters had set an American flag on fire.
Similar incidents occurred on Friday in Los Angeles, where protesters hurled eggs at ICE vehicles following the detention of undocumented immigrants. Images shared on Platform X by Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks, and circulated by Stephen Miller, an adviser to President Trump, showed armed agents in military uniforms confronting protesters. Miller described the situation as an “insurgency” against the rule of law and U.S. national sovereignty.
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