Law vs. Lawlessness: Inside L.A.'s Explosive Weekend of Unrest
A weekend of escalating unrest in Los Angeles followed a series of federal immigration enforcement operations, with violent protests, National Guard deployments, and fierce backlash from California's top officials.
Here's a breakdown of what happened — and what it means moving forward.
On Friday, June 6, ICE agents executed search warrants at multiple locations across Los Angeles, including a clothing warehouse in the Fashion District.
The arrests were part of a broader immigration enforcement operation targeting criminal illegal aliens — including individuals with prior convictions for robbery, drug trafficking, gang activity, and crimes against children.
Protesters quickly mobilized outside a federal building in downtown L.A., where rumors circulated that detainees were being held in the basement.
Demonstrators attempted to block agents from leaving the scene. According to Homeland Security, rocks were thrown at federal vehicles and officers were attacked.
On June 7, violent demonstrations erupted in the cities of Paramount and Compton, with protesters surrounding ICE agents, vandalizing vehicles, and setting at least one car on fire.
A news crew SUV was destroyed, and law enforcement was pelted with rocks and debris.
In response, President Donald Trump signed a invoking Title 10 authority, ordering 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles County for up to 60 days.
The decision bypassed Gov. Gavin Newsom, marking a rare federal move to override state authority.
Trump posted on Truth Social:
By Sunday, National Guard troops were already on the ground in Los Angeles, positioned at federal buildings to prevent further violence.
ICE confirmed that 118 individuals were arrested in total during the operations. Of those, 44 were arrested Friday, and at least five had ties to criminal organizations.
Eight U.S. citizens were arrested in Paramount for impeding immigration officers. Two juveniles were released, while others face federal charges.
Among those arrested: David Huerta, president of SEIU California, who allegedly blocked agents from serving a warrant. Gov. Newsom defended him, calling Huerta a 'patriot.'
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons criticized the delayed response from the LAPD:
'It took over two hours… despite being called multiple times.'
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the Trump administration is determined not to allow a repeat of the 2020 riots:
'We will continue to enforce the law. If you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted.'
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that Marines from Camp Pendleton are on standby if the violence continues.
Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a stern warning to demonstrators:
'This is not about immigration. This is about law and order — and no one is above the law.'
Gov. Newsom called the federal deployment a 'serious breach of state sovereignty' and demanded it be rescinded.
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass promised support for immigrants, telling them the city was 'fighting for you.'
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell announced that his department would not participate in any 'mass deportations,' triggering backlash from Trump allies.
Former VP Kamala Harris and Rep. Maxine Waters condemned the federal actions, accusing Trump of using immigration enforcement for political gain.
ICE operations are expected to continue daily for the next 30 days in Los Angeles County, according to federal officials.
National Guard troops will remain deployed to protect federal property and assist DHS, not serve as local law enforcement.
The White House says the federal government will intervene as needed:
'We're not gonna let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden and his autopen,' Trump said Sunday.
What began as a lawful effort to remove criminal illegal aliens from the streets of Los Angeles quickly spiraled into violent unrest. Federal agents were attacked, police were slow to respond, and state leaders chose political grandstanding over public safety. Now, with National Guard troops deployed and daily ICE operations ongoing, the next few weeks will determine whether Los Angeles can restore order — or double down on chaos.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
21 minutes ago
- Newsweek
How Trump-Friendly Home Depot Got Caught in America's Immigration Wars
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. President Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown is targeting illegal migrants—not only at airports and border crossings but also in Home Depot parking lots nationwide, putting the retail giant with a history of support for the president in a difficult position. Scenes of protest and riots that erupted in Los Angeles last week were partly sparked by an unexpected immigration raid on Friday at a Home Depot in the Westlake neighborhood. Dozens were arrested in a coordinated sweep that also hit garment factories downtown and additional Home Depot locations in suburban cities like Paramount and Huntington Park. The big-box retailer, founded in 1978 and now boasting over 2,300 stores, has long been more than just a place to buy lumber and paint—it's also been an informal hiring hub for day laborers, many of them undocumented. The parking lots of Home Depot stores around the country have functioned, for decades, as sites where homeowners and contractors can connect with available laborers for their immediate needs, no resume required. That unofficial relationship has now collided with federal immigration policy. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller talks to reporters outside of the White House West Wing on May 09, 2025 in Washington, DC. White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller talks to reporters outside of the White House West Wing on May 09, 2025 in Washington, White House adviser Stephen Miller, the architect of President Trump's immigration strategy, has explicitly ordered ICE to target informal labor gathering points such as Home Depot and 7-Eleven. "Why aren't you at Home Depot?" Miller reportedly asked ICE leadership in a Washington meeting last month, frustrated that arrests weren't meeting daily targets. Over the weekend, the consequences of those orders were visible across Los Angeles. In Paramount, anti-ICE protesters clashed with sheriff's deputies as raids unfolded. In Huntington Park, a predominantly Latino suburb, raids resumed Monday morning. And in Westlake, witnesses described a chaotic scene as agents detained workers while others fled. The raids are also having an economic impact, as frequent enforcement at Home Depot locations may be driving away customers. On Tuesday in northern New Jersey, the Wall Street Journal reported far fewer workers showed up for contractors than a few months ago. At two Home Depot stores in Los Angeles, store security kept the few men who did come confined to the public sidewalks. And at three stores around Houston, no laborers were seen at all. "Even workers who I know have legal status were running," said Jorge Nicolás, a senior organizer at the Central American Resource Center, or CARECEN, in an interview with the Los Angeles Times. "We felt powerless." 'We are not involved' Day laborers wait near a Home Depot home improvement store in hope of finding work for the day on August 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Day laborers wait near a Home Depot home improvement store in hope of finding work for the day on August 15, 2008 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images The sudden visibility of the immigration raids, combined with Miller's comments, has placed Home Depot at the center of a public controversy—one in which the company has denied any involvement. "We're not notified when raids are going to happen, and we are not involved in the operations," said Margaret Smith, a spokesperson for Home Depot, in a statement to Newsweek. Smith said Home Depot instructs its employees not to engage with ICE activity and to report any incidents to management. She added that workers who feel uncomfortable after witnessing immigration actions near the stores are given the option to go home for the day and still receive pay. "When ICE arrives at a parking lot or outside one of our stores, we ask our associates to report it immediately, not engage with the activity, and if associates feel uncomfortable after witnessing ICE activity, we offer associates the option to go home for the day with pay." However, critics of the company have long argued that this falls short, given the company's history and its often-contentious relationship with workers—drawing criticism from both pro- and anti-immigrant groups. It also raises questions about its ties with the administration. Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus poses for a portrait in a Home Depot store October 15, 1998. Home Depot CEO Bernie Marcus poses for a portrait in a Home Depot store October 15, 1998. Erik Lesser/Liaison via Getty Bernie Marcus, the company's co-founder and former chairman, was one of Donald Trump's earliest and most vocal financial backers, donating more than $14 million to support his 2016 campaign and related political efforts. Though Marcus retired from the company in 2002 and died last November — one day before the election — at the age of 95, his longtime status as a GOP megadonor sparked previous boycott calls and continue to shape perceptions of the company's political alignment. Ken Langone, another Home Depot co-founder, has had a more complex relationship with Trump. Initially critical, Langone expressed renewed support for Trump in 2024, praising his resilience following the assassination attempt in Butler, Penn. and suggesting it could solidify the president's place in history. Home Depot has long worked to distance itself from the personal politics of its founders. "His views do not represent the company," a spokesperson said of Marcus during the 2019 backlash. The company also stresses that it does not endorse presidential candidates. But its political action committee has made substantial donations to Republican causes. In the 2024 election cycle, Home Depot contributed $1 million to the School Freedom Fund and $220,151 to the National Republican Congressional Committee. Another $143,569 was directed to Trump's campaign, according to OpenSecrets. In the current political climate, those past connections and donations have resurfaced amid a public reckoning over what some progressives say is a theme in corporate America of complicity and silence surrounding the most controversial policies of the Trump administration. Despite Home Depot's claims of noninvolvement, the recurring presence of ICE near its stores continues to draw national attention. The raids come at a time when the company is already under financial pressure, largely related to Trump's on-again, off-again tariff policies. First-quarter earnings dipped slightly from a year earlier, and shares fell after news of the raids broke. Analysts have warned that if public protests and customer anxiety persist, the company could face both reputational and operational fallout.
Yahoo
22 minutes ago
- Yahoo
FIRST ON FOX: High ranking DOJ official resigns post to run for attorney general in red state
FIRST ON FOX: Aaron Reitz, a top official in President Donald Trump's Department of Justice, has resigned his post in the administration to run for attorney general of Texas, entering what he is calling a "fight for the soul of Texas." Reitz, a former Marine and chief of staff to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, served in the Trump administration under U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi as the assistant attorney general for the Office of Legal Policy. Following speculation of a possible run for Texas attorney general, one of the most powerful positions in the state, Reitz resigned his position with the DOJ on Wednesday and officially launched his campaign the day after. "If we lose Texas, we lose the Republic," Reitz said in a statement sent to Fox News Digital. 205 Arrested In Fbi Child Sex Operation, Patel And Bondi Announce "This is no time for half-measures or untested cowards," he said, adding, "We are in a fight for the soul of Texas, our nation, and Western civilization itself." Read On The Fox News App "As Attorney General, I'll use every ounce of legal firepower to defend President Trump, crush the radical Left, advance the America and Texas First agenda, and look out for everyday Texans," he said. This comes as current Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is running in hopes of replacing incumbent Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, in one of the most hotly contested primary races of the year. Reitz pledged to partner with the Trump administration to "clean up the border catastrophe with mass deportations and enhanced border security, take down the Soros-backed district attorneys, obliterate woke indoctrination, expose and root out election fraud, and defend our Constitutional rights without apology." John Cornyn Scores Tim Scott Endorsement, But John Rich Calls Cornyn 'The Lindsey Graham Of Texas' Reitz touted his conservative bona fides, saying, "I've spent my entire career in the trenches with the toughest conservatives in America." He is likely to garner endorsements from some of the country's leading Republicans, with DOJ officials, including Bondi, giving him a string of fond farewells after he announced his departure. In an X post Bondi said: "I'm proud to have worked with @aaron_reitz at @TheJusticeDept. Aaron played a central role in our work to Make America Safe Again — his next chapter will surely contribute to @POTUS's mission, and I look forward to seeing what Aaron does next in his home state of Texas!" FBI Director Kash Patel also chimed in, saying "Aaron is a personal friend, great American, and a relentless advocate for law and order. Thanks for serving our country, now it's time to deliver on his next mission. Good luck." Bondi Announces One Of Largest Fentanyl Seizures In Us History Before serving in the Trump administration and on Cruz's staff, Reitz previously held the position of Texas Deputy Attorney General for Legal Strategy under Paxton. In December, Paxton spoke very highly of Reitz, saying, "he's a proven and effective fighter for our Constitution and American Values" who was "our 'offensive coordinator' leading my very aggressive Texas-v-Biden docket." Paxton said that while working in his office Reitz "spearheaded some of our agency's most consequential actions on border security, immigration, Big Tech, Covid, energy, the environment, and election integrity." Texas Republican state Senator Mayes Middleton, another pro-Trump conservative, is also running for attorney article source: FIRST ON FOX: High ranking DOJ official resigns post to run for attorney general in red state
E&E News
22 minutes ago
- E&E News
Businesses to lawmakers: Don't mess with Energy Star
Business groups are urging Congress to resist Trump administration efforts to privatize Energy Star, the efficiency program for home appliances and building materials. 'Clear legislative authorization backs ENERGY STAR as a voluntary public-private partnership run by the federal government,' more than 30 trade groups said Wednesday in a letter to lawmakers. 'We respectfully request that ENERGY STAR not be supplanted by non-governmental efforts that could significantly alter and overly complicate the program.' Led by the Real Estate Roundtable, the letter was signed by the National Association of Manufacturers; American Chemistry Council; Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers; Air-Conditioning, Heating and Refrigeration Institute; and other groups. Advertisement The letter went to Senate Energy and Natural Resources Chair Mike Lee (R-Utah) and ranking member Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Senate Environment and Public Works Chair Shelley Moore Capito ( and ranking member Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and House Energy and Commerce Chair Brett Guthrie (R-Ky) and ranking member Frank Pallone (D-N.J.)
