Trump-deployed National Guard arrives in LA to crush immigration protests

The determination sparks crisp rebuke from California’s Democratic enactment aft a question of US migration raids successful the region.

US National Guard soldiers person begun deploying connected Los Angeles streets aft United States President Donald Trump sent successful 2,000 troops successful a bid to suppress protests against a question of national migration raids successful the region, sparking a crisp rebuke from California’s Democratic leadership.

Troops were seen aboriginal Sunday astatine the national analyzable successful downtown Los Angeles, including astir the Metropolitan Detention Center, which has been a flashpoint implicit the past 2 days.

The deployment follows intense confrontations betwixt demonstrators and national agents adjacent a Department of Homeland Security installation successful Paramount, a metropolis southbound of Los Angeles with a ample Latino population.

The clashes erupted aft national authorities carried retired wide arrests successful respective locations, including the city’s manner territory and a Home Depot store.

More than 100 radical person been detained implicit the past week, according to migration officials.

Trump accused of inflaming tensions

During Saturday’s confrontation, agents fired teardrop gas, stun grenades, and capsicum balls, portion protesters responded with rocks and debris. Fires burned successful the streets arsenic tensions spiralled.

“This deployment of National Guard troops was done successful a precise antithetic manner,” said Rob Reynolds, Al Jazeera’s elder analogous reporting from Los Angeles.

“Usually, the National Guard beingness is requested by the politician of a state. In this case, Trump went astir [California Governor Gavin] Newsom utilizing a antithetic proviso of the instrumentality that allows him to nationalise the State National Guard and telephone it retired successful cases of insurrection against the United States government,” said Reynolds.

Newsom, who has agelong been astatine likelihood with Trump, condemned the determination arsenic “inflammatory” and warned it would lone marque the concern much combustible.

“They privation a spectacle. Don’t springiness them one,” Newsom posted connected X.

He accused the medication of utilizing heavy-handed tactics to provoke unrest and distract from its arguable migration agenda.

Trump has denounced the protests arsenic “a signifier of rebellion”.

“There has agelong been a consciousness of antagonism betwixt Trump and the authorities of California successful wide and besides peculiarly against Newsom, who Trump refers to connected societal media by the somewhat juvenile nickname of Gavin New Scum. He was brandishing that nickname connected societal media earlier today,” Reynolds noted.

The White House defended the decision, saying the Guard was being sent to “address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.”

The past deployment of the National Guard successful Los Angeles was successful 1992, during the rioting triggered by the brutal constabulary beating by achromatic officers of Black motorist Rodney King, which was caught connected video.

Robert Patillo, a civilian and quality rights attorney, called the president’s determination to bypass the politician and telephone successful troops arsenic “unprecedented” successful caller history.

“Normally, if national troops are going to beryllium utilized wrong of states, it’s going to beryllium astatine the invitation of the politician of that state. For example, successful 1992, the California politician invited national troops successful to enactment down the LA riots. But if the governor, specified arsenic Gavin Newsom, has not asked for national troops to travel in, and these troops are coming successful against his will, past determination volition beryllium challenges,” helium said.

In Compton, different tract of protest, a conveyance was acceptable alight, portion successful Paramount, hundreds of demonstrators rallied adjacent a doughnut store arsenic constabulary erected barriers of barbed wire. The protests extended into the night, with crowds besides returning to national buildings successful cardinal Los Angeles.

A car burns during a protestation pursuing national migration operations, successful the Compton neighbourhood of Los Angeles, California connected June 7, 2025 [Ringo Chiu/AFP]

Police aboriginal declared an unlawful assembly and began making arrests.

In a further escalation, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that active-duty Marines based astatine Camp Pendleton were connected precocious alert and could beryllium mobilised if unrest continues.

Progressive Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders said the Trump bid captured  “a president moving this state rapidly into authoritarianism” and “usurping the powers of the United States Congress”.

Several Republican leaders voiced their enactment for the engagement of the National Guard.

Source:

Al Jazeera and quality agencies