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
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
US and China are holding trade talks in London after Trump-Xi phone call
LONDON (AP) — High-level delegations from the United States and China are meeting in London on Monday to try and shore up a fragile truce in a trade dispute that has roiled the global economy, A Chinese delegation led by Vice Premier He Lifeng is due to meet U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer at an undisclosed location in the city. The talks are due to last at least a day. They follow negotiations in Geneva last month that brought a temporary respite in the trade war. The two countries announced May 12 they had agreed to a 90-day suspension of most of the 100%-plus tariffs they had imposed on each other in an escalating trade war that had sparked fears of recession. Since then, the U.S. and China have exchanged angry words over advanced semiconductors that power artificial intelligence, 'rare earths' that are vital to carmakers and other industries, and visas for Chinese students at American universities. President Donald Trump spoke at length with Chinese leader Xi Jinping by phone last Thursday in an attempt to put relations back on track. Trump announced on social media the next day that trade talks would be held on Monday in London. The U.K. government says it is providing the venue and logistics but is not involved in the talks. 'We are a nation that champions free trade and have always been clear that a trade war is in nobody's interests, so we welcome these talks,' the British government said in a statement. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data


CNN
23 minutes ago
- CNN
June 8, 2025 - Trump presidency, Los Angeles protest news
• On the ground: Police have used flash-bangs and tear gas while dispersing crowds, with some hitting and pushing protesters while making arrests, CNN witnessed. Protesters set at least two self-driving cars on fire. All of Downtown Los Angeles has been declared an unlawful assembly area. • Troop deployment: About 300 National Guardsmen are on the ground after President Donald Trump called them up to protect federal personnel and property. It's the first time a president has called in the National Guard without a state's request or consent in decades. Also prepared to deploy are 500 Marines. • Trump vs Newsom: California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the state will file a lawsuit against the Trump administration over deployment of the National Guard, which he and LA Mayor Karen Bass have called inflammatory. • Why are there protests? Authorities and demonstrators have clashed for days after dozens of people were detained by immigration agents. Intelligence analysts believe protesters are motivated by several factors, including immigration raids, deployment of the National Guard, and agitators who fit profiles of 'professional rioters.'


CNBC
24 minutes ago
- CNBC
China and U.S. trade officials to hold talks in London
U.S. President Donald Trump's top trade officials are meeting their Chinese counterparts in London on Monday for talks aimed at resolving an ongoing trade dispute between the world's two largest economies. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer are representing the U.S. China's foreign ministry said on Saturday that Vice Premier He Lifeng, Beijing's lead trade negotiator, will be in the U.K. between June 8-13, and that a meeting of the "China-U.S. economic and trade consultation mechanism" would take place. The talks come after Trump last week said that he had held a lengthy phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping as both look to avert a full-blown trade war. Diplomatic efforts by both sides have ramped up after weeks of heightened trade tension and uncertainty after Trump announced sweeping import tariffs on China and other trading partners in April. Beijing retaliated, and a tit-for-tat escalation in duties ensued before both sides agreed in Geneva in May to temporarily slash duties and facilitate talks. At the time, the U.S. tariff on Chinese imports was cut from 145% to 30% , while China's levies on U.S. imports were lowered from 125% to 10%. China and the U.S. have since repeatedly accused each other of violating the Geneva agreement, with Washington saying Beijing was slow to approve the export of additional critical minerals to the U.S., while China criticized the U.S. imposing new restrictions on Chinese student visas and additional export restrictions on chips. U.S. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Sunday said that the London talks would focus on moving forward with the Geneva agreement, noting the two sides' strategic interests in each other's markets.