LA ICE protests, Day 2: Paramount at center of clashes between feds, civilians; car fires; rocks thrown at CBP

Yahoo

5 hours ago

The Brief
Scuffles and clashes between federal law enforcement staff and protesters broke out in Paramount.
Saturday's demonstrations marked the second day of anti-ICE protests being staged across Los Angeles.
FOX 11's Matthew Seedorff reports the Paramount scene was not believed to be an ICE raid. Instead, it was more likely to be the staging area for federal authorities to meet, Seedorff reports.
LOS ANGELES - Anti-ICE protests broke out for the second day in a row in Los Angeles County. This time, cars were lit on fire, rocks were thrown at border patrol agents, and the Trump administration is sending the National Guard to Paramount on Saturday.
The clashes between federal law enforcement and civilians come as border patrol officers have made their way to Southern California in gray SUVs and attire resembling riot gear this weekend. Their presence has alarmed Angelenos, prompting witnesses and activists to suspect the staging of ICE raids.
FOX 11 caught the tense moments in Los Angeles County's Paramount neighborhood on Saturday as protesters, alleged agitators, and federal agents all clashed with one another.
Below are live updates of the ongoing protests happening across Los Angeles (all times listed in pacific standard time):
6:05 p.m.: Karen Bass issued the following statement in response to the unrest in Paramount:
"This is a difficult time for our city. As we recover from an unprecedented natural disaster, many in our community are feeling fear following recent federal immigration enforcement actions across Los Angeles County.
Reports of unrest outside the city, including in Paramount, are deeply concerning. We've been in direct contact with officials in Washington, D.C., and are working closely with law enforcement to find the best path forward.
Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable."
5:25 p.m.: President Donald Trump confirms on his Truth Social page that he will take matters into his own hands over the anti-ICE protests.
"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," Trump said on Truth Social.
4:50 p.m.:The Trump administration will send the National Guard to Los Angeles County in the wake of the 2-day protests, FOX News reports.
4:45 p.m.: A white sedan is set on fire a little more than a mile from the original scene of the Paramount protests.
3:30 p.m.: A group of Customs and Border Protection officers left the Paramount scene with windows cracked. FOX News' Bill Melugin reports the rocks pelted at the CBP agents could have died from the attacks in Paramount.
2:30 p.m.: FOX 11's unmarked news vehicle got broken into, windows smashed, body spray painted with "F*** ICE" and had its tires slashed. FOX 11's Matthew Seedorff said the team had parked the car in the Home Depot parking lot, which was near the tense Paramount scene.
2 p.m.: A small fire was started along Alondra Boulevard outside the Home Depot in Paramount.
Noon: Federal agents fire nonlethal at alleged agitators in Paramount.
11:45 a.m.: Arrests being captured on FOX 11's cameras in Paramount. FOX 11's Matthew Seedorff reports the Paramount scene is not believed to be an ICE raid, but more likely a staging area.
11 a.m.: Protesters and federal authorities came face to face at a business center across the street from a Home Depot in Paramount.
The backstory
On Friday, protests broke out in Los Angeles's downtown and Westlake areas. Dozens of people were taken into custody following the clash between federal law enforcement staff and the public.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE:Protests break out after dozens taken into custody by federal agents
Big picture view
The recent raids come in the wake of President Donald Trump's nationwide push for mass deportations.
Internal government data shows ICE arrests during President Donald Trump's second term have already surpassed 100,000 this week, including over 2,000 arrests on both Tuesday and Wednesday. This marks a dramatic increase from the daily average of approximately 660 arrests during the first 100 days of the Trump administration.
These numbers reportedly move closer to the stated goal of top administration officials, such as White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who has pushed for ICE to conduct "a minimum" of 3,000 arrests each day.
The Source
This article used information provided by previous FOX 11 coverage and updates provided by crews at the scene.