Tensions escalated dramatically in Los Angeles late Sunday as California National Guard troops fanned out across Southern California to quell growing protests against President Donald Trump’s sweeping immigration crackdown—an action California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted as “unlawful” and a “serious breach of state sovereignty.”
The White House authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard members, despite sharp opposition from both Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who warned that the move risked turning lawful dissent into a violent spectacle. By Sunday afternoon, U.S. Northern Command confirmed at least 300 troops were already stationed at three strategic locations in the Los Angeles area to protect federal property and personnel.
The deployment follows a weekend of escalating confrontations, sparked by federal immigration raids that began Friday across the city. Demonstrations that started with peaceful protests quickly morphed into intense standoffs between law enforcement and activists, many of whom accused the Trump administration of targeting immigrant communities in violation of civil rights.
“We are demanding that this administration rescind its order and return control to the state of California,” Governor Newsom wrote in a letter to the Department of Defense on Sunday afternoon. “This is an unnecessary and provocative escalation.”
By Sunday evening, the streets around downtown Los Angeles were scenes of chaos. Protesters clashed with riot police near the federal building, hurling bottles and debris as authorities responded with flash-bang grenades, tear gas, and mass arrests. Demonstrators chanted anti-ICE slogans, waved Mexican and hybrid U.S.-Mexican flags, and blocked parts of the 101 Freeway in a symbolic act of civil disobedience. At least five self-driving Waymo taxis were vandalized—two of them set ablaze.
A marked police SUV was torched after protesters doused it with gasoline from an overpass near Union Station. Videos circulating on social media showed plumes of black smoke and crowds scattering as helicopters thundered overhead.
“We support the right to protest,” LAPD said in a statement Sunday night, “but violence and destruction of property endanger lives and undermine the democratic process. We remain on tactical alert.”
According to Homeland Security, the demonstrations turned violent outside the federal immigration services complex, where ICE officers were reportedly assaulted and government buildings vandalized. Federal officials said more than 44 people were arrested in immigration raids that began Friday. Among them was David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union, detained for allegedly interfering with law enforcement—though union leaders said he was lawfully observing ICE operations.
The situation intensified on Saturday in the suburb of Paramount, where rumors of new raids triggered fresh protests. Demonstrators blocked roads, threw objects at federal agents, and lit garbage bins on fire. Local authorities declared multiple unlawful assemblies throughout the weekend.
Despite calls for calm from officials including Compton Mayor Emma Sharif, clashes continued across neighborhoods, spreading from downtown L.A. to South Los Angeles and beyond.
White House officials defended the military deployment, claiming that “violent mobs” were impeding lawful federal enforcement. Senior advisor Stephen Miller posted on X that the protests amounted to a “violent insurrection.”
But critics argue that the administration is using federal forces to intimidate political opponents and stoke division. “This is not about public safety—it’s about political theater,” Mayor Bass said in a press briefing. “Los Angeles is not a war zone.”
By late Sunday, the Civic Center and Olvera Street areas had been declared unlawful assembly zones. Police used “less lethal munitions” to disperse crowds, with multiple arrests reported. Hundreds of protesters fled as flash-bangs exploded and tear gas filled the air.
As of Monday morning, the situation remained tense but somewhat calmer. State officials continue to press for the withdrawal of federal forces, while community leaders brace for another day of unrest.
The city, many fear, is just the latest front in a growing national showdown over immigration, states’ rights, and the limits of federal power.
Developing story. Updates to follow.
