Trump sends National Guard to LA amid immigration protests
NYT News Service Protesters walk the street near the site of a federal immigration raid in Los Angeles on Friday, June 6, 2025. Federal agents in tactical gear armed with military-style rifles threw flash-bang grenades to disperse an angry crowd as they conducted an immigration raid on a clothing wholesaler, the latest sign of tensions between protesters and law enforcement over raids carried out at stores, restaurants and court buildings. (Alex Welsh/The New York Times)
Federal agents and demonstrators clashed for a second consecutive day in the Los Angeles suburb of Paramount on Saturday, as immigration raids triggered mass protests. Armed agents in riot gear used flash-bang grenades and tear gas to disperse crowds gathered near a Home Depot staging area reportedly used by ICE.Amid chants of 'ICE out of Paramount,' protesters waved Mexican flags, burned American flags, and attempted to block enforcement vehicles. Some formed barricades using shopping carts and cement blocks, forcing authorities to shut parts of a nearby freeway.The operation came after Friday's high-profile immigration raids across the city, which resulted in 118 arrests. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), among those detained were individuals with links to criminal organisations and others with prior convictions.As tensions flared, federal officials doubled down. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned protesters on X, formerly Twitter, that 'you will not stop us or slow us down,' and vowed full prosecution for any interference.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons criticised city leaders for what he called a failure to maintain order. 'Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement,' he said.
Tom Homan, Trump's border security advisor, told Fox News that the National Guard would be deployed Saturday night: 'We are making Los Angeles safer. Mayor Bass should be thanking us.'FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino confirmed multiple arrests and stated, 'You bring chaos, and we'll bring handcuffs. Law and order will prevail.' — FBIDDBongino (@FBIDDBongino)
On the ground in Paramount, the mood remained tense. Footage showed green-uniformed federal personnel lined across a boulevard as tear gas drifted through the air. Protesters wore respiratory masks and held signs reading 'No Human Being is Illegal.'A woman shouted into a megaphone, 'ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are. You are not welcome here.'Smoke rose from burning shrubbery and trash. In one incident, protesters surrounded a US Marshals Service bus, prompting further freeway closures.The raids also sparked alarm among immigrant advocacy groups. Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), said that legal representatives had been denied access to detainees on Friday. 'It's very worrying,' she said.Federal agents also carried out operations at a clothing warehouse in the fashion district after a judge found probable cause of fraudulent documentation use by the employer.Among those arrested during the protests was David Huerta, regional president of the Service Employees International Union. Justice Department spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy confirmed Huerta's detention and upcoming court appearance. It was unclear whether Huerta had legal representation.Senator Chuck Schumer demanded his release, citing a 'disturbing pattern of arresting and detaining American citizens for exercising their right to free speech.'President Donald Trump praised the crackdown and warned that the federal government would intervene if local authorities failed to control the situation. 'If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs… the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!' he posted on Truth Social.Governor Gavin Newsom responded, warning that federal control over California's National Guard would escalate tensions. 'This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust,' he said.Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the raids as attempts to 'sow terror' in one of America's most diverse cities.'The tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,' she said in a statement. 'We will not stand for this.'Protests erupted soon after Friday's immigration raids, which targeted sites including garment factories, warehouses, and day labourer pickup points near Home Depots.Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and known immigration hardliner, described the scenes as 'an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States.' On Saturday, he escalated his language, calling it a 'violent insurrection.'Protester Ron Gochez, 44, addressed the crowd: 'Now they know that they cannot go to anywhere in this country where our people are, and try to kidnap our workers, our people — they cannot do that without an organised and fierce resistance.'
The protest movement appears set to grow, even as federal officials insist they will continue to carry out immigration enforcement operations. ICE has set a daily arrest goal of 3,000 under President Trump's second-term immigration push. The suburb of Paramount, where the standoff took place, is 82% Hispanic or Latino, according to US Census data. Los Angeles remains one of the country's most immigrant-rich cities, with a large population of foreign-born residents.The broader standoff pits federal immigration authorities under a Republican White House against a Democratic-led city government.As tear gas clouds clear, the political divisions remain sharp—and the likelihood of continued confrontation grows by the hour.
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