Trump Deploys National Guard as Protests Erupt Over Immigration Raids in Los Angeles
Violent protests erupted for a second consecutive day in Los Angeles on Saturday, June 7, as federal immigration raids triggered street clashes between demonstrators and heavily armed federal agents. US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops amid growing unrest, vowing to “crush rioters” and maintain law and order.
Federal agents with the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) were seen using tear gas and flashbang grenades to disperse crowds in Paramount, a city southeast of downtown Los Angeles. The protests erupted after sweeping immigration raids on Friday led to at least 44 arrests.
The decision to deploy National Guard troops was confirmed by White House border policy chief Tom Homan, who told Fox News the move was necessary to bolster federal personnel after violent clashes left federal vehicles damaged and officers injured.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the deployment as “purposefully inflammatory,” while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the raids as an assault on the city’s immigrant communities. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this,” Bass said.
President Trump responded on his Truth Social account with strong language aimed at state and city officials: “If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs… the Federal Government will step in… RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”
In Paramount, demonstrators faced off with federal officers, many wearing gas masks and tactical gear. Protesters chanted anti-ICE slogans, waved Mexican flags, and held signs opposing the raids. Some videos circulating online showed gas canisters being fired, overturned barricades, and officers forming military-style perimeters.
The protests followed Friday’s operation by ICE agents across Los Angeles, which DHS said was part of a national effort to ramp up deportations. Officials claimed more than 1,000 demonstrators gathered outside a federal facility, where some defaced property and slashed tires of government vehicles.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called the protests “an insurrection” and reaffirmed the administration’s pledge to deport at least 3,000 undocumented migrants per day. “We will not back down,” he said.
DHS officials pushed back against criticism from state and city leaders, accusing them of emboldening violence. “The rhetoric of these sanctuary politicians is beyond the pale,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin.
The FBI and the US Attorney’s Office confirmed they are reviewing video footage and other evidence to identify individuals responsible for potential criminal activity during the protests.
