Trump Deploys National Guard to Los Angeles Amid Protests

The Trump administration deployed 2,000 National Guard members to the Los Angeles area amid protests over the administration's immigration policies. The decision was made after Homeland Security Department officials prepared to augment resources and personnel on the ground to provide force protection for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducting a previously planned operation. Protests escalated on Friday and became violent at times, with federal agents clashing with angry crowds and using flash-bang grenades. The White House defended the deployment, stating that Californian leaders were not doing their job, while California Governor Gavin Newsom pushed back, warning that the move would only escalate tensions and was "purposefully inflammatory." The deployment comes as the Trump administration has renewed its push to increase immigration arrests, with ICE significantly ramping up enforcement efforts.

Protests in Los Angeles over immigration raids turned violent as security forces and protesters clashed, with video showing batons being used and armoured vehicles deployed, after US President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to the city.

Protests erupted in Los Angeles after rumors spread that immigration authorities had raided a Home Depot hardware store where day laborers gather to find work. The rumors were false, but they sparked fear and panic in the largely Hispanic community, leading to violent clashes between protesters and authorities. The National Guard was deployed to the area, and President Donald Trump justified the move by citing "violent people" in the city. In reality, the US Department of Homeland Security said there was no ICE "raid" at the store, but they did arrest 118 undocumented immigrants in the Los Angeles area, including some with previous criminal histories. The protests were seen as a "breaking point" for the immigrant community, with many feeling that the Trump administration's immigration policies were targeting them.

Law enforcement launched pepper balls, spray, and tear gas to disperse protesters outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles, who had been clashing with National Guard, ICE, and DHS agents for two days following immigration raids, after President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guardsmen to disperse the protests.

President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell immigration protests, overriding Governor Gavin Newsom's objections. Experts call the move "dangerous" and "extremely rare" as it challenges state authority and established standards. The deployment is the first time a US president has used such power since 1992, and it was done without the governor's cooperation or request. Trump's action has been criticized by local leaders, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Democratic Rep. Nanette Barragán, who say it will escalate tensions and erode public trust. Historically, presidential deployments of the National Guard have been made at the request of a governor or to enforce federal law, such as during the desegregation of schools in the 1950s and 1960s. Trump's move is seen as a significant escalation and a departure from past practices.

President Trump has deployed at least 2,000 members of the California National Guard to Los Angeles to quell protests over his administration's immigration policies, despite Governor Gavin Newsom's opposition. Trump claimed that Los Angeles was being "invaded and occupied" by "violent, insurrectionist mobs" and directed his cabinet officials to take action to "liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion." The move has sparked criticism that Trump is inflaming the situation for political gain and bypassing the authority of state officials. Newsom had not requested federal assistance and instead asked Trump to rescind the National Guard deployment, saying it was exacerbating the situation. The standoff has drawn parallels to past instances where Trump has used executive power to pursue his agenda and target perceived adversaries.

Self-driving cars were vandalized and set on fire during protests in Los Angeles against immigration raids, with law enforcement authorities and demonstrators clashing for two days, prompting President Donald Trump to deploy 2,000 National Guardsmen to disperse the protests.

Aerial video captured by CNN affiliate KABC shows demonstrators flooding the streets, including freeways, near the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles after the Los Angeles Police Department declared the assembly unlawful, with protests breaking out in response to immigration raids and 2,000 National Guardsmen deployed to disperse the protests.