Latest news with #JimMcDonnell
CBS News
13 hours ago
- Politics
- CBS News
L.A. police chief: National Guard focused on immigration agenda, not helping with protests
L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell told "CBS Mornings" on Wednesday that the National Guard being deployed to Los Angeles in the midst of ICE protests was not because of President Trump saying the protests were more than McDonnell could handle. "We don't need the National Guard, and they are not here to help us right now," McDonnell said Wednesday on "CBS Mornings." They are here to facilitate what the federal agencies are doing on the immigration front." When asked if military assistance was brought in to assist with handling the protests, McDonnell said, "That's not our understanding. They have a different mission. They're working in support of the federal agencies that are working with ICE on civil immigration enforcement and criminal immigration enforcement." California Gov. Gavin Newsom delivered a statewide address on Tuesday in the wake of immigration operations that sparked days of protests in Los Angeles and the deployment of hundreds of National Guard and U.S. Marines troops to the area by President Trump. The speech came after Mayor Karen Bass' decision to implement a curfew in downtown Los Angeles after multiple nights of unrest and an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order filed by the state in its lawsuit to block the additional deployment of troops. That curfew prompted dozens of arrests on Tuesday. Protests have escalated into violent clashes, graffiti, looting, vandalism and debris. Mr. Trump declared that the National Guard would be deployed to Los Angeles, despite opposition from California politicians who said it was largely unnecessary. The deployment of 2,000 more National Guard troops and 700 Marines followed. But McDonnell expressed concern about members of the military interacting with Los Angeles protesters. "Anytime anybody comes into the city and we are not clear on what rules and responsibilities are, there's a concern. I worry for our own people."
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump ordered National Guard from 'top down'
STORY: :: June 8, 2025 :: Los Angeles, California :: LA police chief says his team would not have deployed the National Guard; Trump ordered it from the 'top down' :: Jim McDonnell, Police Chief, Los Angeles 'We could handle this. I believe that we would have gone through a number of steps before we'd have deployed the National Guard or requested deployment of the National Guard. We would normally go to 50 percent deployment to handle radio calls and to do the business of policing. And everybody else would be focused on the initial problem. Beyond that, then we would request through the sheriff mutual aid, and that would bring in members of the 44 other police departments in LA County, as well as the sheriff's office. And so that didn't occur in this case because it wasn't done through the sheriff or through the… up through the normal chain. It was done from the top down, from the president (U.S. President Donald Trump) directing that that happened. And then the National Guard was federalized. So, they're working for the U.S. Army, not for the California State National Guard.' 'This violence that I've seen is disgusting. It's escalated now since the beginning of this incident. What we saw the first night was bad. What we've seen subsequent to that is getting increasingly worse and more violent. Tonight, we had individuals out there shooting commercial grade fireworks at our officers, that can kill you. And we have adapted our tactics to be able to have a chance to be able to take these people into custody and to be able to hold them accountable.' California National Guard troops were deployed to the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday to help quell a third day of protests over Trump's immigration enforcement, a step the state's Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, called unlawful. 'They're working for the U.S. Army, not for the California State National Guard,' said police chief Jim McDonnell, speaking to the media in a briefing, adding that the police would have 'gone through a number of steps' before turning to federal troops. McDonnell highlighted that violence around the protests was escalating. "What we saw the first night was bad. What we've seen subsequent to that is getting increasingly worse and more violent. Tonight, we had individuals out there shooting commercial grade fireworks at our officers, that can kill you. And we have adapted our tactics to be able to have a chance to be able to take these people into custody and to be able to hold them accountable.' National Guard troops guarded federal government buildings on Sunday, as police and protesters clashed in separate demonstrations over federal immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Yahoo
20 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Karen Bass Declares 'Local Emergency,' Orders Curfew to Address 'Crisis in DTLA'
Mayor Karen Bass Declares 'Local Emergency,' Orders Curfew to Address 'Crisis in DTLA' originally appeared on L.A. Mag. Mayor Karen Bass announced a curfew for Downtown Los Angeles after five straight days of violence and mayhem that has marred much of the neighborhood around the federal buildings where immigrants rounded up in a series of raids are being held and prosecuted. 'The curfew will be in place from 8 p.m. tonight until 6 a.m. tomorrow,' announced Bass, adding that it could last for several days and would be reevaluated tomorrow. 'Everyone must abide by this curfew.'Bass said a 'local emergency' has been declared and that the curfew was necessary because of what she called "extensive widespread vandalism" that includes profanity-laced graffiti scrawled on City Hall, an LAPD building, and rampant destruction in public parks and at private businesses. Bass said she was dismayed that 23 businesses were looted, while multiple historical landmarks in Little Tokyo along with immigrant-owned businesses, were heavily damaged. Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said that anyone who violates the curfew "will be arrested." The curfew's boundaries will encompass the area encircled by the 5 Freeway, the 110 Freeway, and the 10 Freeway and end where the 5 Freeway and the 110 Freeway merge. "The curfew is a necessary measure to protect lives and safeguard property, following several consecutive days of growing unrest throughout the city," McDonnell said. "Since Saturday, we have seen a concerning escalation in unlawful and dangerous behavior."Bass said people who live or work in Downtown and credentialed media representatives have a limited exemption from the curfew. Those experiencing homelessness are also exempt from the curfew, McDonnell said. The mayor had a message for President Trump, who has ordered 700 Marines and as many as 2,000 National Guard soldiers into Los Angeles to deal with what he called lawlessness. "If you want to restore peace in the city, end the raids." This story was originally reported by L.A. Mag on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Sky News
a day ago
- Politics
- Sky News
Los Angeles protests: Curfew comes into force - as California's governor steps up his attack on Donald Trump
A curfew has come into force in Los Angeles as officials attempt to "stop the vandalism and stop the looting". Mayor Karen Bass said the restrictions will be in force in downtown areas of the city from 8pm to 6am local time (4am to 2pm UK time) - and will likely be repeated in the coming days. She confirmed that a local emergency had been declared as "we reached a tipping point", with 23 businesses looted on Monday night. Ms Bass said "graffiti is everywhere", with "significant damage" to properties as a result of the protests. Jim McDonnell, the chief of the Los Angeles Police Department, described the curfew as a "necessary measure to protect lives" as "unlawful and dangerous behaviour" had been escalating in the last few days. On Tuesday alone, 197 arrests were made by the force, and he warned anyone violating the curfew without a valid reason would be detained. Residents, people who are homeless, those travelling to and from work, credited media as well as public safety and emergency personnel, will be exempt from the curfew. The curfew covers a one square mile section of downtown LA that includes the area where protests have happened since Friday. The city of Los Angeles encompasses about 500 square miles. The protests are in response to raids carried out by the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE). US President Donald Trump has activated 4,000 National Guard troops - the federal reserve force - to protect ICE officers carrying out raids as well as federal buildings in LA, despite objections by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the deployments unnecessary, illegal and politically motivated. Mr Trump also sent 700 marines, who are expected to start operating in the LA area on Wednesday, according to the US Northern Command. State officials said Mr Trump's response was an extreme overreaction to mostly peaceful demonstrations, with California senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla saying the domestic mobilisation of active-duty military personnel should only happen "during the most extreme circumstances, and these are not them". Mr Trump defended his decision in a speech to soldiers at the Army base in Fort Bragg, North Carolina, saying his administration would "liberate Los Angeles". 0:49 "Generations of Army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness," Mr Trump said. "What you're witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order and on national sovereignty, carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags." Gavin Newsom launched a blistering response in an address on Tuesday evening, saying the deployment of the National Guard without consulting Californian officials was a "brazen abuse of power by a sitting president". He said it "enflamed a combustible situation, putting our people, our officers and even our National Guard at risk". "That's when the downward spiral began. He doubled down on his dangerous National Guard deployment by fanning the flames even harder - and the president, he did it on purpose," Mr Newsom said. Newsom takes the fight to Trump US correspondent @marthakelner California Governor Gavin Newsom's televised address to the nation felt presidential as he took the fight to the man in the Oval Office, with a series of scorching putdowns. He made a compelling case that Donald Trump's extraordinary decision to send troops to LA against his wishes had put the country on the brink of authoritarianism. He spoke the day after the Pentagon announced 700 marines were being deployed to join 4,000 National Guard troops ordered to the streets of LA by Trump. But there has been no evidence so far that local law enforcement is being overwhelmed by the size or might of this resistance movement. The head-to-head between Trump and Newsom is a compelling one. The governor is known to harbour presidential ambitions for 2028 and is something of a MAGA bogeyman. Newsom presides over a blue state, the biggest in the country, and is growing his brand with a podcast and - now - Trump has effectively put him in the national spotlight by bringing this political battle to his door. The governor accused Mr Trump of choosing escalation and "theatrics over public safety", as the situation was "winding down" before the president deployed the troops. Mr Newsom added: "When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation. "This is about all of us, this is about you. California may be first, but it clearly won't end here; other states are next. Democracy is next. Democracy is under assault before our eyes." Homeland Security said on Monday that ICE had arrested 2,000 immigration offenders per day recently, which significantly exceeds the 311 daily average in the fiscal year 2024 under former president Joe Biden. The protests over the immigration raids have started to spread across the US, with demonstrations in cities like Seattle, Austin, Chicago and Washington, DC.
Arab News
a day ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Los Angeles mayor imposes curfew on downtown following increased nighttime violence
LOS ANGELES: Mayor Karen Bass issued a curfew for downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday 'to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting.' She said in a news conference that she had declared a local emergency and that the curfew will run from 8 p.m. Tuesday until 6 a.m. Wednesday. 'We reached a tipping point' after 23 businesses were looted, Bass said. The curfew will be in place in a 1 square mile (2.59 square kilometer) section of downtown that includes the area where protests have occurred since Friday. The city of Los Angeles encompasses roughly 500 square miles (2,295 square kilometers). The curfew doesn't apply to residents who live in the designated area, people who are homeless, credentialed media or public safety and emergency officials, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. McDonnell said 'unlawful and dangerous behavior' had been escalating since Saturday. 'The curfew is a necessary measure to protect lives and safeguard property following several consecutive days of growing unrest throughout the city,' McDonnell said. Earlier Tuesday, National Guard troops began protecting immigration agents as they made arrests in Los Angeles on Tuesday, an expansion of their duties that had been limited to protecting federal property. Photos posted Tuesday by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement show National Guard troops standing guard around officers as they made arrests. ICE said in a statement that the troops were providing security at federal facilities and protecting federal officers 'who are out on daily enforcement operations.' The change moves troops closer to engaging in law enforcement actions like deportations as President Donald Trump has promised as part of the administration's immigration crackdown. The agency said Guard members are also providing support with transportation. The Guard has the authority to temporarily detain people who attack officers but any arrests ultimately would be made by law enforcement. National Guard troops and Marines deployed to LA California Gov. Gavin Newsom had asked a federal court to block the Trump administration from using the National Guard and Marines to assist with immigration raids in Los Angeles, saying it would only heighten tensions and promote civil unrest. Newsom filed the emergency request after Trump ordered the deployment to LA of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines following protests of the president's stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws. The federal government said Newsom was seeking an unprecedented and dangerous order that would interfere with its ability to carry out enforcement operations. A judge set a hearing for Thursday. The Marines and another 2,000 National Guard troops were sent to LA on Monday, adding to a military presence that local officials and Newsom do not want and that the police chief says makes it harder to handle the protests safely. Marine Corps Gen. Eric Smith said Tuesday that the Marines had not yet been called to respond to the protests and were there only to protect federal officials and property. The Marines were trained for crowd control but have no arrest authority, Smith told a budget hearing on Capitol Hill. Marines were not seen on the streets yet, while National guard troops so far have had limited engagement with protesters. Trump says he's open to using Insurrection Act Trump left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which authorizes the president to deploy military forces inside the US to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations. It's one of the most extreme emergency powers available to a US president. 'If there's an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We'll see,' he said from the Oval Office. Later the president called protesters 'animals' and 'a foreign enemy' in a speech at Fort Bragg ostensibly to recognize the 250th anniversary of the US Army. Trump has described Los Angeles in dire terms that Mayor Karen Bass and Newsom say are nowhere close to the truth. The protests began Friday after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in Los Angeles. Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire over the weekend, and police responded with tear gas, rubber bullets and flash-bang grenades. The demonstrations have been mostly concentrated downtown in the city of 4 million and have been far less raucous since the weekend. Thousands of people have peacefully rallied outside City Hall and hundreds more protested outside a federal complex that includes a detention center where some immigrants are being held following workplace raids. Several businesses were broken into Monday, though authorities didn't say if the looting was tied to the protests. Nejdeh Avedian, general manager at St. Vincent Jewelry Center in the Los Angeles Jewelry District said the protesters had already left, and 'these guys were just opportunists,' though St. Vincent's had armed guards and was left alone. Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement Tuesday that protesters have hurled rocks and Molotov cocktails at law enforcement, set vehicles on fire, defaced buildings and public property and set fire to American flags. The Los Angeles Police Department said there have been more than 100 arrests. The vast majority were for failing to disperse, while a few others were for assault with a deadly weapon, looting, vandalism and attempted murder for tossing a Molotov cocktail. Seven police officers were reportedly injured, and at least two were taken to a hospital and released. On Tuesday, a few dozen protesters gathered peacefully in front of the federal complex, which was quickly declared an unlawful assembly. Police issued a dispersal order and corralled the protesters, telling members of the media to stay out to avoid getting hurt. Officers with zip ties then started making arrests. Obscene slogans directed at Trump and federal law enforcement remained scrawled across several buildings. At the Walt Disney Concert Hall, workers were busy washing away graffiti Tuesday. In nearby Santa Ana, armored Guard vehicles blocked a road leading to federal immigration and government offices. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested Tuesday that the use of troops inside the US will continue to expand. 'I think we're entering another phase, especially under President Trump with his focus on the homeland, where the National Guard and Reserves become a critical component of how we secure that homeland,' he said on Capitol Hill. Los Angeles officials say police don't need help The mayor and the governor say Trump is putting public safety at risk by adding military personnel even though police say they don't need the help. Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell said he was confident in the police department's ability to handle the demonstrations and that the Marines' arrival without coordinating with police would present a 'significant logistical and operational challenge.' Demonstrations have spread to other cities nationwide, including San Francisco, as well as Dallas and Austin, Texas, Chicago and New York City, where a thousand people rallied and multiple arrests were made. LA response takes stage on Capitol Hill The Pentagon said deploying the National Guard and Marines costs $134 million. Meanwhile, Democratic members of California's congressional delegation on Tuesday accused the president of creating a 'manufactured crisis.' On Monday, California Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit seeking to halt the deployment. Trump said the city would have been 'completely obliterated' if he had not deployed the Guard. The deployment appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a request from its governor, a significant escalation against those who have sought to hinder the administration's mass deportation efforts.
