Trump Deploys National Guard to Los Angeles Amid Immigration Protests
President Donald Trump has deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to escalating protests over immigration raids, with the Pentagon warning that active-duty military could follow if unrest continues.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Marines at Camp Pendleton are on high alert. The move follows a second day of protests in the Paramount area and downtown LA, where demonstrators waved Mexican flags and chanted, “ICE out of L.A.!”
The White House called the protests a response to “lawlessness” and said the troops were necessary. Trump’s border adviser Tom Homan confirmed the National Guard would be deployed Saturday. Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move as “purposefully inflammatory,” calling it a spectacle. “Never use violence. Speak out peacefully,” he urged on X.
Trump, on Truth Social, threatened to take over from local officials, vowing to address “RIOTS & LOOTERS” himself. Vice President JD Vance and White House adviser Stephen Miller branded the demonstrations a “violent insurrection,” though officials say the Insurrection Act has not been invoked.
Footage from the Paramount protest showed armed federal agents, tear gas deployment, and some protesters being detained. Los Angeles Police confirmed “multiple detentions” for failure to disperse.
The unrest follows immigration raids that began Friday, in which at least 44 people were arrested. DHS claimed about 1,000 protesters were present, though that number is unverified. Immigrant rights advocates, including Angelica Salas of Chirla, said detainees had not been given legal access, raising concern over due process.
The immigration crackdown, part of Trump’s second-term agenda, aims to deport thousands daily. Critics say it has also impacted legal residents and workers. Raids reportedly targeted day laborers, garment workers, and warehouse employees, with unmarked vehicles seen sweeping through the city.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass condemned the raids, saying they “sow terror” and threaten the city’s safety. “We will not stand for this,” she said.
