Trump deploys 2,000 National Guard members to LA

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The Trump administration is deploying the California National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement operations that have resulted in some clashes between demonstrators and authorities, the White House said in a statement.

President Donald Trump signed a memorandum "deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness" in California as demonstrations opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations continue in the state, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Saturday.

"In the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens," Leavitt said. "That is why President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester," Leavitt said.

Earlier, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the federal government was moving to "take over the California National Guard," calling the move "purposefully inflammatory" and saying it will "only escalate tensions."

Newsom said local California authorities don't need the help.

The protests Saturday were centered in the city of Paramount in Los Angeles County, following reports of an immigration raid occurring at that location. However, Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons later said during a news conference that agents were staging, not conducting a raid.

Those protests followed demonstrations Friday that came in the wake of immigration enforcement operations across the city. Federal agents raided multiple workplaces in the fashion district and other areas, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California, leading to hundreds of people, including children, being detained by ICE agents at the Edward Roybal Federal Building in downtown LA, the ACLU said.

Large crowds then gathered near the federal building Friday afternoon and evening, leading to some clashes with authorities.

Video of the protests on Saturday showed Border Patrol agents posted up with many protesters across the street, yelling at them. Footage appears to show some smoke projectiles being deployed as well.

In a statement on social media, United States Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said several arrests had been made Saturday for alleged assaults on federal agents.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said authorities were seeking to identify people who threw rocks at law enforcement vehicles.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said federal law enforcement operations would proceed as planned in Los Angeles County this weekend.

"I urge the public to refrain from interfering with these lawful actions. Anyone who obstructs federal agents will face arrest and prosecution," he said.

The LA County Sheriff's Department said its personnel responded to Paramount Boulevard Saturday, where a large crowd was blocking the street.

"As deputies arrived, it appeared that federal law enforcement officers were in the area, and that members of the public were gathering to protest. The Sheriff's Department was not involved in any federal law enforcement operations or actions and responded solely for traffic and crowd control management," the sheriff's department said in a statement Saturday.

The sheriff's department said it does not participate in any civil immigration enforcement activities or mass deportation sweeps.

"We remind the public to exercise their right to protest peacefully, with respect for the safety of all community members. Our primary responsibility is to ensure public safety for all individuals present—both demonstrators, residents, and bystanders—by addressing potential safety concerns while supporting the safe and lawful expression of First Amendment rights," the sheriff's department said.

Local, federal officials point fingers
The response to the protests has local and federal officials pointing fingers.

In a statement Saturday, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons faulted local officials, including LA Mayor Karen Bass, and police for their response to the situation on Friday evening.

"What took place in Los Angeles yesterday was appalling," Lyons said. "As rioters attacked federal ICE and law enforcement officers on the LA streets, Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement."

Lyons' statement went on to say: "Our brave officers were vastly outnumbered, as over 1,000 rioters surrounded and attacked a federal building. It took over two hours for the Los Angeles Police Department to respond, despite being called multiple times. The brave men and women of ICE were in Los Angeles arresting criminal illegal aliens including gang members, drug traffickers and those with a history of assault, cruelty to children, domestic violence, robbery, and smuggling.

The LAPD issued a statement later on Saturday denying the ICE director's claims, saying its response was delayed, in part, because federal authorities had deployed chemical irritants into the crowd of protesters.

"Contrary to the claim that LAPD delayed its response for over two hours, our personnel mobilized and acted as swiftly as conditions safely allowed," the statement said. "Our response time was impacted by significant traffic congestion, the presence of demonstrators, and, notably, by the fact that federal agents had deployed irritants into the crowd prior to LAPD’s arrival. This created a hazardous environment for responding officers. Within 55 minutes of receiving the call, we began to disperse the hostile and riotous crowd."

Bass has condemned the ICE operations in her city.

"As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place. These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. My Office is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations. We will not stand for this," Bass said.

Bass told ABC Los Angeles station KABC that neither she nor the Los Angeles Police Department were aware that the ICE raids were going to happen.

Around 300 guard members descended on Los Angeles this morning after President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 troops, a move sharply criticized as inflammatory and unnecessary by Gov. Gavin Newsom and a "chaotic escalation" by L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.

Border czar Tom Homan defended the president’s decision to deploy the troops and warned that Newsom and Bass could be arrested if they impede operation efforts.

Demonstrators protesting federal immigration raids clashed with police in a day of chaos in Los Angeles yesterday, with further demonstrations planned for today.

The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 11 people last night for failure to disperse, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the situation.

National Guard throw what appear to be tear gas canisters at protesters in Alameda
National Guard members deployed what looked like tear gas canisters at protesters in Alameda this afternoon.

Protesters had gathered around a federal building where National Guard members were deployed. The National Guard members threw canisters that let out a smoke-like material when they hit the ground. The action made the crowd disperse.

The crowd began to slowly gather around the federal building again minutes after the incident. National Guard members have created a perimeter around the building.

Trump says California officials could 'face charges' for impeding deportation efforts
Trump told reporters today that California officials could face federal charges for blocking deportation efforts, doubling down on an idea first presented last night by his border czar Tom Homan.

"Officials who stand in the way of law and order, yeah, they will face judges," Trump said.

Homan, who's been in Los Angeles throughout both the deportation operation and subsequent protest, told NBC News' Jacob Soboroff that California officials could be subject to arrest if they "crossed the line" and impeded Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

“I’ll say about anybody,” Homan said. “It’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement from doing their job.”

The remark by Trump comes as his decision to deploy thousands of National Guard troops to Los Angeles has frustrated local leaders, including Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass.

The two democratic leaders have emphasized that the state did not request the deployment and warned it could further escalate tensions between law enforcement and protesters.

Trump: ‘They spit, we hit’
Speaking to reporters, Trump appeared to suggest that protesters who spit or throw objects at law enforcement will face consequences, saying “they spit, we hit.”

Trump said that spitting on people was protesters’ “new thing,” adding, “Nobody’s going to spit on our police officers, nobody’s going to spit on our military, which they do, is a common thing. They get up to him this far away, and then they start spitting in their face. That happens, they get hit very hard.”

The National Guard, 2,000 troops of which Trump deployed to Los Angeles yesterday, is only authorized to help administratively under Trump’s order. A 2024 analysis by the Brennan Center published in Lawfare found that the Constitution does not grant the president permission to use the National Guard for any mission the president may conceive, adding that presidents usually invoke the Insurrection Act when responding to civil unrest.

Asked by a reporter whether he plans to invoke the Insurrection Act, Trump said, “Depends on whether or not there’s an insurrection,” adding that he did not think there currently was one but “you have violent people, and we’re not going to let them get away with it.”

Protesters calm outside federal detention center; Newsom urges them to stay that way

The Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles was surrounded by protesters carrying flags and signs while remaining peaceful.

Newsom urged the group to stay that way, writing in a post on X, "Don’t give Trump what he wants. Stay calm."

Though the group was large and some were holding signs with profanity, it appeared that the crowd was demonstrating without aggression. They stood against law enforcement wearing shielded helmets and gas masks.

One person held up a sign that read, "First Trump came for the immigrants and we said NOT TODAY." There was also a profanity at the end of the phrase.

500 Marines on standby should they be needed in L.A. area, NORTHCOM says
Five hundred Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines are ready to deploy and provide backup to the National Guard troops on the ground in L.A., U.S. Northern Command said this evening.

The Marines, garrisoned at the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, about 150 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, are at the ready “should they be necessary to augment and support the DoD’s protection of federal property and personnel efforts,” NORTHCOM said in a statement.

So far, 2,000 California Army National Guard soldiers have been activated, but only about 300 have been deployed to protect federal personnel and property in the greater L.A. area, according to the NORTHCOM statement. They are in Los Angeles, Paramount and Compton.

Two officers injured when motorcyclists tried to breach skirmish line, police say
Two officers were injured when two people riding motorcycles tried to breach a police line downtown this afternoon, the LAPD's Central Division said.

“Two officers were injured after being hit by the motorcyclists,” Central Division said on X. The officers were being treated at the scene.

The motorcyclists were detained, the LAPD said.

Kamala Harris denounces Trump administration's response to protests, calling demonstrations 'overwhelmingly peaceful’
Former Vice President Kamala Harris said she is “appalled” by the scenes in Los Angeles, saying the Trump administration’s actions are “about stoking fear” and not about public safety.

“Deploying the National Guard is a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos," Harris wrote in a statement on social media. "In addition to the recent ICE raids in Southern California and across our nation, it is part of the Trump Administration’s cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division.”

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Harris said that “protest is a powerful tool” and that the demonstrations have been "overwhelmingly peaceful," adding that she supports “those standing up to protect our most fundamental rights and freedoms.”

Former second gentleman Doug Emhoff echoed Harris' message in a post of his own, saying: "Let’s be clear: STANDING UP for others in the form of peaceful protest is not a threat. It’s the exercise of democracy."

Police use projectiles
California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear have arrived
California Highway Patrol officers in riot gear have arrived to serve as backup amid protests downtown. They're forming a line on the 101

At least 5 Waymo vehicles go up in flames
As things seemed to find a lull in downtown Los Angeles, with Mayor Karen Bass reporting that the California Highway Patrol had cleared most protesters from the 101 Freeway they had shuttered, flames erupted.

At least five vehicles branded as Waymo Driver SUVs and providing autonomous, driver-free rides in L.A., went up in flames during the late afternoon's protests, creating black plumes of smoke and raging flames.

Waymo uses Jaguar I-Pace SUVs, which are electric vehicles packed with batteries that are known to be resistant to firefighting efforts.

It wasn't clear if they were deliberately torched or if anyone was injured.mp

Trump administration ICE raids have created fear and unrest, L.A. mayor says
Before there were raging protests in Los Angeles, there were immigration raids.

Bass said at a news conference that the raids didn't increase peace and decrease crime but that they did push a wave of fear through a county where 1 in 3 are foreign-born.

Federal agents amassed at three locations Friday to arrest people believed to be in the country illegally, and when they did, L.A.'s sizable pro-immigrant organizations and labor groups rallied and protested.

"What we're seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration," Bass said, referring to Trump.

She continued: "When you raid Home Depot and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you cause fear and you cause panic."

Trump administration ICE raids have created fear and unrest, L.A. mayor says, continued
Protesters gathered outside a Home Depot in Paramount yesterday as federal agents staged at offices nearby, but the retailer and its parking lot weren't the subjects of a raid, officials said.

Bass also faulted the Trump administration for arresting everyday migrants when it said the focus of deportation efforts would be violent criminals.

"In the beginning, the administration said they were just looking for dangerous felons, violent people," she said. "It's hard to say that that's what they found

Newsom calls Trump a 'stone-cold liar,' plans to sue administration
Newsom said he is suing the Trump administration over its deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles, something that is usually up to the governor.

The suit will be filed very early tomorrow, Newsom said. Trump's order required the Defense Department to coordinate with Newsom before he sent in the National Guard, Newsom said, adding that the administration failed to do so.

"There's a protocol; there's a process. He didn't care about that. And the worst part? He completely lied," Newsom said, noting that Trump had said on social media that everything was safe because he had sent in the guard, even though the guard had not yet been deployed at the time.

Newsom also called Trump's actions "unconstitutional" and "illegal."

"His mess. We're trying to clean it up," Newsom said.

Newsom calls Trump a 'stone-cold liar,' plans to sue administration, continued
Newsom also again blamed Trump for the chaos throughout the city, which has extended into its third day: "Donald Trump has created the conditions you see on your TV tonight. He's exacerbated the conditions," Newsom said.

Newsom said that he and Trump spoke for about 20 minutes Friday night but that deploying National Guard troops never came up. Instead, he said, Trump wanted to talk about other issues, and he called Trump a "stone-cold liar."

"There's no working with the president. There's only working for him, and I will never work for Donald Trump," Newsom said.

"Where's your decency, Mr. President?" Newsom continued. "Stop. Rescind this order. It's illegal and unconstitutional. And I said it — I'll say it again: It's immoral. You're creating the conditions that you claim you're solving

Dozens arrested amid protests against immigration raids, LAPD says
At least 56 people have been arrested in downtown Los Angeles, authorities said.

Police Chief Jim McDonnell said at a news conference tonight that his officers made 29 arrests yesterday. Capt. Raul Jovel of the department's Central Division reported officers have made 10 arrests so far today.

He also said the California Highway Patrol, which took command of law enforcement along the 101 Freeway as protesters shut it down earlier in the day, made 17 arrests.

Last night's arrests were based on allegations of failure to disperse after police declared an unlawful assembly near the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building, Jovel said.

Among those arrested today was a person who allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at an officer and one who is alleged to have rammed a motorcycle into a line of officers, injuring one, Jovel said. The reasons for the other arrests weren't immediately clear.

Dozens arrested amid protests against immigration raids, LAPD says, continued
The officer injured by the motorcycle — police initially said two officers were injured — was treated at the scene, police said earlier in the day.

While McDonnell said officers support and protect the right to free speech, he also warned would-be protesters of potential consequences if they break the law: "They're setting themselves up for a criminal future," he said.

Anyone now in downtown L.A. subject to arrest
Police tonight expanded their unlawful assembly declaration to include all of downtown Los Angeles, generally the area inside a loop created by the 110, 101, 5 and 10 freeways.

The declaration means nobody, with a few exceptions, including members of the news media, should be in the area and will be subject to arrest.

The police department's initial unlawful assembly declaration applied to downtown's Civic Center area, which includes the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and he adjacent Metropolitan Detention Center, as well as the county courthouse, Grand Park and areas near the 101 Freeway.

The order was expanded as marchers headed toward LA Live, moving from the northeast corner of downtown, where the federal complex exists, to the southwest corner.

Police also said earlier that incendiary devices were being thrown at mounted officers as some protesters had split off and were individually wreaking havoc at different locations.

"Officers are responding to several different locations to disperse crowds," the LAPD's Central Division, which covers downtown, said on X.

Van driver arrested after vehicle said to veer toward protesters
A driver was arrested after protesters chased a van near Union Station in downtown Los Angeles tonight because, they said, it aimed for them.

The van appeared to veer toward protesters multiple times as it drove in circles. What sounded like gunfire came from the van as it drove near demonstrators, who had gathered near the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building.

Police Officer Tony Im said the police department had no information about possible gunfire, and no injuries were reported.

When people chased the vehicle, it took off, struck a utility pole and fled. Im said Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies arrested a driver. It's not clear what allegations led to the arrest.

City of Glendale says it will no longer hold federal immigration detainees
The city of Glendale today said it has ended an agreement to hold federal immigration detainees at its city lockup.

The city said in a news release that it has had an agreement with Homeland Security and ICE since 2007 to house federal immigration detainees but recently reviewed the deal and decided to end it.

In a statement, Glendale said its city manager made the decision after careful evaluation.

At the same time, it said, the decision to end the deal was "not politically driven," and it was made in the interest of public safety

"The city recognizes that public perception of the ICE contract—no matter how limited or carefully managed, no matter the good—has become divisive," it said.

"The Glendale Police Department is trusted and supported by the residents and businesses, and in turn, our officers work every day to protect and serve with professionalism and care," the city said. "At this time, it is in our best interest to not allow that trust to be undermined."

The city of roughly 188,000 is about 9 miles north of downtown Los Angeles. A little more than half of its residents are foreign-born, and it boasts that it "is home to the largest Armenian population outside of Armenia

Van driver arrested after vehicle said to veer toward protesters
A driver was arrested after protesters chased a van near Union Station in downtown Los Angeles tonight because, they said, it aimed for them.

The van appeared to veer toward protesters multiple times as it drove in circles. What sounded like gunfire came from the van as it drove near demonstrators, who had gathered near the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building.
When people chased the vehicle, it took off, struck a utility pole and fled. Im said Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies arrested a driver. It's not clear what allegations led to the arrest.

Dude probably one of the cowards who also tried to mow down BLM back in 2020/21.

Hegseth makes it official: Marines deploying to L.A.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth made the deployment of Marines to Los Angeles official, saying on X that the 700 Marines mobilized to Camp Pendleton will be sent to defend federal resources in L.A.

"Due to increased threats to federal law enforcement officers and federal buildings, approximately 700 active-duty U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton are being deployed to Los Angeles to restore order," he said.

U.S. Northern Command said in an earlier statement that the Marines would come from Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center and were being sent to Camp Pendleton in San Diego County prior to probable deployment.

Twentynine Palms, in the California desert, is about 140 miles east of downtown L.A. Camp Pendleton, which has its main address in Oceanside, is about 90 miles south of downtown L.A.

Two U.S. Department of Defense sources said that the process of mobilizing — moving troops from Twentynine Palms to Oceanside, a distance of about 147 miles — would begin tonight.

Hegseth said the troops will defend federal agents amid protests in L.A. over immigration raids.

"We have an obligation to defend federal law enforcement officers — even if Gavin Newsom will not," he said.

LAPD got no formal notice Marines would be deployed, chief says
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said today that his agency has not received any formal notice that Marines would be deployed in Los Angeles, but he said the police force has the experience when it comes to large protests.

“The LAPD has not received any formal notification that the Marines will be arriving in Los Angeles. However, the possible arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles absent clear coordination presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city,” McDonnell said in a statement.

“The Los Angeles Police Department, alongside our mutual aid partners, have decades of experience managing large-scale public demonstrations, and we remain confident in our ability to do so professionally and effectively,” he said

McDonnell said his agency's priority is public and officer safety, and he urged "open and continuous lines of communication between all agencies to prevent confusion, avoid escalation, and ensure a coordinated, lawful, and orderly response during this critical time."

ACLU says Marines not trained to police protests
The American Civil Liberties Union today called the deployment of active-duty troops to Los Angeles an unnecessary escalation and a move by the Trump administration that raises serious constitutional concerns.

“Every move President Trump has made since Saturday night has been escalatory and inflammatory,” Hina Shamsi, director of the National Security Project at the ACLU, said in a statement today.

“The idea that these Marines have anywhere near the kind of training required to police protests while respecting people’s constitutional rights would be laughable if the situation weren’t so alarming,” Shamsi said.

“From the get-go, the Trump administration’s deployment of troops into the streets of California, over the governor’s objection, has raised serious constitutional concerns,” Shamsi said. “This latest move only increases legal and ethical jeopardy for troops, and further endangers the rights of the people of Los Angeles.”

Newsom says Trump is deploying another 2,000 National Guard troops to L.A.
Newsom said this afternoon that Trump is deploying 2,000 more National Guard troops to Los Angeles, on top of an initial 2,000.

"I was just informed Trump is deploying another 2,000 Guard troops to L.A.," he said on X.

"The first 2,000? Given no food or water. Only approx. 300 are deployed — the rest are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders," Newsom wrote.

"This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego," he continued. "This is Reckless. Pointless. And Disrespectful to our troops."

California's attorney general today filed a lawsuit challenging Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, calling it an unprecedented power grab that exceeds his authority.

Newsom has accused Trump of using the National Guard "to manufacture a crisis."

California suit against use of troops: ‘People are governed by civil, not military, rule’
California’s attorney general has filed a promised lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s deployment of military troops in Los Angeles following protests and unrest.

The suit says President Trump exceeded his lawful authority and that he “used a protest that local authorities had under control to make another unprecedented power grab.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is the legal commander-in-chief of the state’s National Guard, the suit argues, and Newsom did not request their use. In fact, Newsom has criticized Trump’s ordered of troops as an attempt to “manufacture a crisis.”

The lawsuit says that under the legal statute “when the President calls members of a State National Guard into federal service pursuant to that statute, those orders 'shall be issued through the governors of the States.'"

“Instead, Secretary Hegseth unlawfully bypassed the Governor of California, issuing an order that by statute must go through him,” Bonta wrote in the suit, referring to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.

Bonta also argued that Trump’s action “contravenes core statutory and constitutional restrictions.”

“One of the cornerstones of our Nation and our democracy is that our people are governed by civil, not military, rule. The Founders enshrined these principles in our Constitution,” Bonta wrote.


Protesters gather at historic site where L.A. was founded
few hundred peaceful protesters gathered today at Olvera Street, part of El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, commemorated as the site where Los Angeles was founded.

The location emits a symbolism, no doubt, in the minds of some protesters, attaching history to contemporary demographics that have Los Angeles County roughly one-half Latino and three-fourths people of color.

The city's Latino roots reach to Olvera Street, where in 1769 Gaspar de Portola led a Spanish expedition north from San Diego and found an ideal place for a settlement.

'Not on our watch': L.A. public schools plan to protect undocumented families at graduations
Ahead of the roughly 100 graduation ceremonies today and tomorrow, the Los Angeles Unified School District is carrying out plans to protect its estimated 7,500 undocumented students and their families amid ongoing federal immigration raids in Los Angeles and beyond, according to United Teachers Los Angeles, an LAUSD teachers’ union.

Superintendent Alberto Carvahlo said that security perimeters will be set up at every graduation site and that buses and bus sites are included in security plans.

“Every single graduation site is a protected site,” Carvalho said. “Any federal agency [that] may want to take action during these joyous times that we call graduation — not on our watch.”

United Teachers Los Angeles, the teachers union for the second-largest public school district in the country, says about 1 in 4 of the district's 30,000 immigrant students are undocumented.

All 'uniformed officers' to stay on duty as LAPD declares 'tactical alert'
The LAPD’s Central Division, which covers downtown, declared a tactical alert shortly after 3 p.m.

“The City of Los Angeles has declared a Tactical Alert. All uniformed personnel are to remain on duty,” is said on X.

A tactical alert allows supervisors to keep officers past their shifts and maintain high levels of staffing in the event of emergencies or large incidents.