Los Angeles: United States President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles following two days of intense protests and clashes initiated by a sweeping immigration crackdown.
The White House said the deployment aims to manage ‘the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester’ in the nation’s second-largest city. The move marks the first time since the 1992 Rodney King riots that National Guard troops will be deployed in Los Angeles under federal command.
“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!!!” –President Donald J. Trump pic.twitter.com/om8tGfXoL6
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 8, 2025
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon is set to escalate further, stating that active-duty Marines stationed at nearby Camp Pendleton are on high alert should the unrest continue. California Governor Gavin Newsom strongly condemned the move, calling it ‘purposefully inflammatory.’
The protests exploded after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted a series of raids across Los Angeles, arresting at least 44 individuals on alleged immigration violations. Demonstrators have charged the agency of targeting communities indiscriminately, with reports that even legal residents were among those detained.
During demonstrations in the Paramount area of southeast Los Angeles, protesters clashed with riot police, who responded with tear gas. Protesters, some waving Mexican flags and wearing respiratory masks, threw rocks, bottles, and fireworks at law enforcement. A vehicle was also reportedly set on fire.
Tensions escalated, when demonstrators gathered outside a federal detention centre demanding the release of detainees. Chants of ‘Set them free, let them stay!’ filled the air, while anti-ICE slogans were seen on placards and spray-painted onto buildings.
The White House condemned the protests, describing them as the actions of ‘violent mobs’ targeting ICE agents ‘carrying out basic deportations.’ A statement from the administration accused California’s Democratic leadership of failing to maintain order, calling the immigration raids essential to ‘halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States.’
President Trump also issued a stern warning on his social media platform, threatening to carry federal action if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass failed to restore order.
According to Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, the National Guard will be deployed to Los Angeles beginning under Title 10 authority, a federal activation that overrides the governor’s control over the state’s troops.
Governor Newsom insisted that California’s law enforcement agencies have the resources they need and cautioned that the deployment could ‘erode public trust.’
The immigration crackdown is part of Trump’s renewed pledge to implement mass deportations and secure the US-Mexico border. The White House has reportedly set a target of 3,000 ICE arrests per day, though legal challenges are mounting with reports that even lawful permanent residents have been swept up in the enforcement efforts.
As the situation unfolds, civil rights advocates warn of potential constitutional violations and are calling for restraint and federal accountability.
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