'Unlawful Assembly' Declared Amid Los Angeles ICE Protests—Police
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) Central Division has declared an "unlawful assembly" on Sunday afternoon during protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in downtown LA.
The declaration came just before 3 p.m. local time in the area of Alameda Street between Temple and Aliso streets, with police ordering all demonstrators to leave or face arrest.
Newsweek has reached out to the LAPD via email on Sunday for comment.
The Incident Commander has declared an UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY in the area of Alameda between Temple and Aliso St.
All persons must leave the area or be subject to arrest. — LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) June 8, 2025
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history and has conducted numerous Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, some of which have swept up individuals with proper documentation.
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday evening that he had authorized the mobilization of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after reported violence against law enforcement, specifically, ICE agents carrying out deportation raids in the city.
While the raids are following legal directive from federal authorities, protests have erupted amid reports that detainees were being held in the basement of a federal building. ICE denied these allegations, with a spokesperson previously telling Newsweek the agency "categorically refutes the assertions made by immigration activists in Los Angeles."
The raids in Paramount, Los Angeles County, followed similar action in locations through other parts of the city on Friday, during which police arrested at least 44 people. Some protesters have thrown rocks at officers, with one allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail, and burning items in the streets. Police responded with tear gas.
The clashes highlight deepening conflicts between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration policy, as Trump has implemented sweeping changes through executive orders and utilized the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expand deportation authority.
Why the National Guard Was Called
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem directly blamed California Governor Gavin Newsom for the federal government's decision to deploy National Guard troops to assist with violent clashes between police and immigration protesters in Los Angeles.
The deployment came after reports of significant violence against law enforcement, including officers sustaining injuries from bricks thrown through vehicle windows, vehicles being burned, and Molotov cocktails being thrown at personnel conducting ICE operations.
Noem criticized Newsom's handling of the situation during an appearance on CBS News' Face the Nation, arguing that proper state-level response could have prevented the escalation. She emphasized that the 2,000 National Guard soldiers are specifically trained for crowd control situations and will provide security around federal buildings while supporting both peaceful protesters and law enforcement officers.
The federal intervention represents a sharp disagreement between state and federal authorities over jurisdiction and necessity. Newsom has maintained that local authorities are capable of handling the situation and accused Trump of deliberately inflaming tensions through the deployment.
What To Know
The situation escalated rapidly as LAPD authorized the use of less lethal munitions and issued dispersal orders.
Police warned on X, formerly Twitter, that anyone throwing items at officers would be detained and arrested, while also announcing that the city was on tactical alert. Multiple arrests were reported as law enforcement moved to clear protest areas.
Trump authorized the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Saturday evening, citing violence against law enforcement during immigration protests. The troops arrived Sunday morning and have been positioned at federal buildings, including the Civic Center area, according to LAPD Central Division.
The president invoked 10 U.S.C. 12406, a provision within Title 10 that allows federal deployment of National Guard forces when there is "rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States." His order stated that violent protests constitute "a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States."
The protests began in response to ICE raids in Paramount and other parts of Los Angeles County, with at least 44 arrests made Friday. Demonstrators have gathered near federal facilities amid reports that detainees were being held in a federal building basement—allegations ICE has categorically denied.
When asked on Sunday about potentially invoking the Insurrection Act, Trump indicated current conditions don't meet that threshold but emphasized his administration will not tolerate violence against federal personnel.
Police also issued warnings for people to avoid MTA train areas, stating that anyone remaining on the tracks would be subject to arrest. Roads near the federal detention center and federal courts building were closed as demonstrations continued for a third consecutive day.
The use of less lethal munitions has been authorized by the Incident Commander.
Persons throwing items at officers will be detained and arrested.
An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been declared by the Incident Commander. — LAPD Central Division (@LAPDCentral) June 8, 2025
What People Are Saying
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem on Face the Nation on Sunday: "If he [Newsom] was doing his job, people wouldn't have gotten hurt the last couple of days. We wouldn't have officers with a shattered wrist from bricks thrown through their vehicles, vehicles being burned, flags burned in the street and Molotov cocktails being thrown."
California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X on Sunday: "I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command. We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty—inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California."
Border czar Tom Homan on Fox News on Saturday said: "We're already mobilizing. We're gonna bring the National Guard in tonight and we're gonna continue doing our job. This is about enforcing the law."
He added: "American people, this is about enforcing the law, and again, we're not going to apologize for doing it."
President Donald Trump on Truth Social wrote on Saturday: "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!!!"
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on X on Sunday: "We will always protect the constitutional right for Angelenos to peacefully protest. However, violence, destruction and vandalism will not be tolerated in our City and those responsible will be held fully accountable."
LAPD Central Division on X on Sunday: "Officers are reporting that people in the crowd are throwing concrete, bottles and other objects. Arrests are being initiated. A DISPERSAL ORDER has been issued for the area of Alameda and Temple. Those at Alameda and Temple must leave the area."
What Happens Next?
Protesters have gathered for a third day as law enforcement continues to ramp up its operations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
How LA erupted over rumours of immigration raid at a hardware store
Juan and several friends huddled in the car park of a hardware store near Los Angeles, where protests have erupted against US President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Typically, their gatherings include dozens of day labourers, many of whom are undocumented immigrants, seeking work from shoppers or contractors. But on Sunday, only two small pickups advertised that they could help with roofing, repairs or paint jobs outside this branch of Home Depot in the suburb of Paramount, whose population is more than 82% Hispanic. It was one day after the store became the centre of immigration protests, sparked by rumours that day labourers here had been rounded up and arrested. Many who live in the community told the BBC they saw immigration enforcement vehicles in the area. It caused instant fear and panic. Then came reports about raids and arrests of day labourers at Home Depot, a place where many undocumented migrants across the US go to find work. Protests erupted in this Hispanic-majority city, turning violent as rocks and Molotov cocktails were thrown. Authorities used pepper spray, rubber bullets and smoke bombs to subdue the crowd. But the demonstrations in Paramount appear to have spawned out of misinformation. While dozens of migrants have been detained by authorities elsewhere in the area, the rumours of raids at the store were misinformation, according to the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS). "Despite false reports, there was no ICE 'raid' at a Home Depot in LA," the DHS told the BBC. Follow our live updates on the LA protests A political fight Trump is eager to have As he leaned on the bed of a small Toyota pickup with his two friends, Juan said: "No-one really knows what happened. Everyone is afraid." The unrest in Paramount, which also saw a car set ablaze and businesses looted, became a catalyst for what federal authorities have described as riots throughout the Los Angeles area. On Saturday, President Donald Trump used his authority to call in the California National Guard, something typically decided by a state's governor, as a second day of protests convulsed the city. As the protests flared up for a third day on Sunday, armed National Guard troops guarded a gated business park across the street from the hardware store. They parked Humvees blocking the area and squared off with protesters hurling insults and waving Mexican flags and banners. "You're not welcome here!" one man with a Los Angeles Angels ball cap shouted to the soldiers as another protester uncapped spray paint and wrote an obscenity directed at US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. DHS told the BBC that the guarded area is home to one of their offices and authorities were using it "as a staging area and rioters found it". The agency told the BBC they have arrested 118 illegal immigrants in the Los Angeles area this week, including five they say are gang members. The agency said some of these migrants had previous criminal histories that included drug trafficking, assault and robbery. When can a president deploy National Guard on US soil? As he prepared to board Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, on Sunday, Trump told reporters there were "violent people" in Los Angeles "and they're not gonna get away with it". Dora Sanchez was still in disbelief from the shocking images that transformed her city the night before. She gathered on Sunday with others in the community at the Chapel of Change church, less than a block from the centre of protests the day before. She and others at the church talked about how this Hispanic community was revitalised over the years and became a close-knit community where neighbours know and watch out for one another. The protests felt like a "breaking point" for the immigrant community, she noted. Los Angeles is one of the biggest minority-majority cities in the US. Hispanics not only make up a larger share of the population than any other ethnic background, but immigrants, specifically those from just south in Mexico, are a core part of the history and culture here. The city boasts its status as a sanctuary city, which means it does not co-operate with federal immigration enforcement. Some here said they felt a bubbling tension that seemed to erupt when the Republican president's administration targeted LA's undocumented immigrants. "It was time to stand up," said Maria Gutierrez, who protested in Paramount. "These are my people." She said she was born in Mexico, but has lived here since she was a girl. She - like many here - say they have family members who are in the US illegally. "This is LA," she said. "It touches us all. "Everyone has family or knows someone who doesn't have papers." When can a president deploy National Guard on US soil? Trump orders National Guard to LA after clashes Trump's intervention in LA is a political fight he is eager to have
CBS News
13 minutes ago
- CBS News
Immigrants, supporters march to California Capitol in protest of Trump administration's deportation arrests
A group of North Bay immigrants and their supporters began a march this weekend from Vacaville to the California State Capitol to add their voices to a growing wave of defiance toward the Trump administration's deportation arrests. "It shows that the movement continues to grow because, despite Trump's failed attempts to try to scare the community, we're out here. We're taking to the streets," said Danny Selaya, an activist from Oakland. They embarked on the journey on Saturday and by Sunday afternoon, they were walking along the rural roads near UC Davis. In all, about 350 people will have joined the march at various times in the roughly 35-mile trek to Sacramento. "I really disagree with the perception that we have no power," Selaya said. "But here we have folks from all walks of life telling Trump that we won't take his attacks and we are fighting back." Though it was planned far in advance, the protest march gained new significance as it came during a weekend of clashes in Los Angeles prompted by a large-scale arrest and deportation operation in the city involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies. Renee Saucedo is a North Bay immigrant rights activist who said many of the people in the march were taking a gamble by even being there. "What courage they have to do this long walk, to attend peaceful protests, knowing that they could be picked up at any minute," she said. "I think that this walk and the protests that are happening in L.A. and other parts of the country are really a culmination of many months of endurance and suffering." In Palo Alto, Congressmember Sam Liccardo added his voice to a group of California lawmakers criticizing the president for sending National Guard troops to Los Angeles without a request from the governor. "Leave urban policing to the experts. We don't need the military involved," he said at a press conference. "This deployment of National Guard troops is a reckless use of the very good and well-intentioned citizens who serve in our National Guard." Back at the march, Bernice Espinosa saw what was happening as a crisis of the law. The former public defender said she is disturbed by the reports of ICE is arresting people at courthouses as they show up for their immigration hearings. "This makes no sense. We ask for us to be a country of law and order, and yet when we follow the laws and do all the things that are supposed to be done, there is no due process," Espinoza said. "As an attorney, I swore to defend the Constitution against enemies foreign and domestic. And that includes the president." When the marchers reach the state capitol on Monday, they will be speaking to a largely sympathetic audience. But they will be adding their voices to a movement that they hope will reach a tipping point. But it could be a long journey to get there. "So, I think you're going to have a lot more protests," Saucedo said. "I think people are going to stand up more and more and say, this is not right." President Trump's anti-immigrant rhetoric helped him increase his vote across California when he won re-election last year, even though the Democrats still won the state. But opinion polls also show continuing high levels of support for immigrants in California as well as opposition to his administration's efforts to increase deportations.
Yahoo
13 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Video shows motorcyclists burst through police line
Two police officers were injured when two motorcyclists drove through a skirmish line during protests in Los Angeles. Demonstrators flooded the streets after an initial protest site at the Metropolitan Detention Center was declared 'unlawful' by the Los Angeles Police Department.
