Fifth Day of Protests in California's Los Angeles Amid Escalating US Immigration Crisis
Protests over federal immigration policy continued for a fifth consecutive day in California's Los Angeles, as demonstrators demanded the withdrawal of National Guard troops and condemned what they described as overreach by President Donald Trump.
The unrest has sparked a widening political and constitutional clash between the White House and California's Democratic leadership, which accuses Trump of inflaming tensions by violating the state's jurisdiction over internal security.
Hundreds of protesters once again blocked traffic on a major Los Angeles freeway in a renewed wave of demonstrations across California. In response, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a local state of emergency and imposed a nightly curfew in the downtown area, citing concerns over looting and vandalism.
The Trump administration told us they were going after violent criminals, gang members, and drug dealers.
But they went after a home depot. They're going after families and children.
That does not make Los Angeles more safe. pic.twitter.com/rnarEzD3F4
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) June 11, 2025
'I've declared a local emergency and imposed a curfew downtown to stop the escalating destruction and looting,' Bass told reporters.
She confirmed that at least 29 stores had been looted in what she called the most serious escalation since federal forces arrived. The curfew is expected to remain in place for several days, pending review of the evolving situation.
The protests were initially triggered by federal raids targeting immigrant communities but quickly morphed into a broader political crisis between California and the Trump administration. President Trump defended his decision to deploy federal troops to Los Angeles, calling it a necessary response to what he described as a national security emergency.
Addressing US troops at a military base in North Carolina, Trump declared that 'generations of American heroes didn't shed their blood on distant shores only to see our country destroyed from within by lawlessness and third-world invasions.'
'What we're witnessing in California is a full-scale assault on public order and national sovereignty, led by agitators waving foreign flags. We will liberate Los Angeles,' he continued.
Trump's remarks followed his order to deploy 700 US Marines and 4,000 National Guard personnel to Los Angeles—a move critics have condemned as a politically motivated overreaction.
California Governor Gavin Newsom sought an emergency court order to block the deployment of federal troops, arguing that Trump had unlawfully bypassed state authority. However, US District Judge Charles Breyer denied the immediate request, though he granted additional time for the administration to formally respond.
In a sharply worded statement, Newsom accused Trump of 'undermining American democracy' and 'commandeering state forces to enforce immigration policies without consent.'
California has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, alleging Trump is using military force to carry out immigration enforcement in defiance of the state's objections.
As tensions grow, protests have expanded to other major cities, including San Francisco, Dallas, and parts of Kentucky. With no sign of de-escalation, both political and legal battles continue to deepen—highlighting the fractured state of US federalism in an election year defined by immigration, national identity, and executive power.
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