National Guard troops have been deployed to Los Angeles amid intensifying protests and violent unrest triggered by immigration enforcement operations in the city.
President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of up to 2,000 National Guardsmen to Los Angeles over the weekend in response to clashes between demonstrators and federal agents following controversial U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, raids conducted Friday across the city.
Despite the order, California officials confirm that only around 300 National Guard soldiers are currently active in Los Angeles. These troops, part of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, have been stationed at three separate locations throughout the greater L.A. area to protect federal property and personnel.
The protests escalated over the weekend following reports of ICE raids at workplaces in the Los Angeles Fashion District and the detention of individuals, including children, at a federal building in downtown LA. Demonstrators gathered en masse outside the Edward Roybal Federal Building, demanding the release of detainees. Police eventually declared an unlawful assembly.
Authorities say tear gas was deployed to disperse crowds, but a “small group of violent individuals” responded by hurling large pieces of concrete at officers. Clashes later spread to nearby Paramount and Compton, where reports emerged of looting and a car engulfed in flames.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino vowed the operations would continue, stating, “Illegal immigration operations will continue, and anyone using violence to obstruct them will be investigated and prosecuted.”
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth added fuel to the fire, warning that active-duty Marines could be deployed if the situation worsens, calling the unrest “a national security threat.”
California Governor Gavin Newsom strongly opposed the deployment, accusing the federal government of attempting to “take over” the California National Guard. In a post on X, Newsom labeled the move “inflammatory and unnecessary,” arguing that local law enforcement is equipped to handle the situation.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson defended the president’s action, praising Trump’s response as “real leadership” and insisting he had both the authority and responsibility to intervene.
Tensions between federal and local authorities appear to be reaching a boiling point. ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons slammed LA Mayor Karen Bass for what he called a failure to support law enforcement. He claimed that more than 1,000 rioters surrounded a federal building and that ICE officers were vastly outnumbered and left without backup for hours.
Mayor Bass pushed back, condemning the ICE operations as “terrorizing” immigrant communities and stating that neither she nor the LAPD had been informed in advance of the raids. However, she also urged protesters to remain peaceful, saying, “Violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
The LAPD denied ICE’s claims of delayed response, stating that hazardous conditions created by federal agents’ deployment of chemical irritants slowed their ability to intervene safely. They emphasized that they do not engage in immigration enforcement activities and responded purely for crowd and traffic control.
As federal immigration operations continue and public outrage grows, Los Angeles finds itself at the epicenter of a national debate over enforcement, protest, and the limits of federal authority. Both sides are calling for calm—but with emotions running high and political rhetoric intensifying, it’s unclear when, or how, this crisis will deescalate.
We’ll continue to bring you the latest updates as this story develops.
