US immigration riots: Why are people protesting in LA?

7NEWS

19 hours ago

Hundreds of Marines and an additional 2000 National Guard members have been deployed to control the riots in Los Angeles, according to US officials.
LA police have also ordered protesters to go home after days of violent demonstrations, causing the entire downtown area to go into lockdown.
The unrest was sparked by US President Donald Trump's move to crack down on illegal immigration and tighten the country's border security.
So, why have his orders been met with a huge backlash?
A big part it, some might argue, is the role that ICE has played in all this.
What is ICE?
ICE, or Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is a division of the US Department of Homeland Security.
It is responsible for enforcing immigration laws by detaining, deporting, and convicting unauthorised immigrants.
As part of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown during his second term in office, ICE has ramped up its enforcement actions.
On June 4, it arrested 2200 people which, according to NBC, is the most people ever arrested by the agency in a single day.
But according to three sources familiar with the arrests, hundreds of those arrested had been enrolled in ICE's Alternative to Detention (ATD) program, which releases undocumented immigrants who are not deemed a threat to public safety.
Following their release, these immigrants are tracked through ankle monitors, smartphone apps or other geolocating programs, along with periodic check-ins at ICE facilities.
These LA ICE raids have also raised concerns over agents wearing masks and their lack of accountability using federal force in domestic affairs.
How did the protests start?
The protests started last Friday, when ICE agents raided the LA Fashion District and detained people suspected of being undocumented immigrants at their workplace.
The arrest of over 100 people at multiple sites fuelled protests at the Metropolitan Detention Center.
According to Homeland Security Investigations, 'approximately 44 people' were administratively arrested, and one person was arrested on an obstruction charge.
President of the Service Employees International Union David Huerta was among those arrested for interfering with federal officers, according to LA-based attorney Bill Essayli.
On Saturday, as word of the ICE raid spread, demonstrations continued at the heavily Latino city of Paramount, and its neighbour, Compton.
Protesters attempted to again block Border Patrol vehicles near a Home Depot store in Paramount, with some hurling rocks and chunks of cement.
Federal agents in response unleashed tear gas, flash-bang explosives and pepper balls.
Trump signed a memo to deploy 2000 National Guard members to protect officers conducting immigration raids, contrary to the wishes of Governor of California Gavin Newsom, who accused the US president of a 'complete overreaction'.
Newsom also condemned the raids, calling them 'chaotic federal sweeps' that aimed to fill an 'arbitrary arrest quota'.
The escalation of tensions on Sunday triggered the deployment of 300 National Guard troops to guard federal detention centre Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown LA.
Vehicles were set alight and officers in riot gear used flash-bang grenades and pepper spray to control crowds.
LAPD declared the demonstration in downtown Los Angeles an unlawful assembly and ordered protesters to leave.
On Monday, Trump ordered an additional 2000 National Guard members to be deployed in LA as well as 700 Marines.
California has also filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, asking a judge to declare the call-up of National Guard troops unconstitutional and for the court to halt future deployments.
Trump is the first president in 60 years to deploy the National Guard without that state's request.
In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, 'If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs' and that 'the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved'.