Los Angeles, California — Protests erupted in Los Angeles over the weekend as President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops in response to escalating tensions over immigration enforcement raids.
Clashes broke out between federal agents and demonstrators in the suburb of Paramount on Saturday night, marking the second consecutive night of unrest. Agents in gas masks fired flash-bang grenades and tear gas to disperse crowds that had gathered near a Home Depot being used as a staging area by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials.
The standoff intensified as protesters, some waving Mexican flags and others setting a U.S. flag ablaze, chanted for ICE agents to leave. Makeshift roadblocks made of cement blocks and overturned shopping carts were set up, and authorities were forced to shut down parts of a nearby freeway to prevent further escalation.
“We are feeling fear,” said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, acknowledging the community’s concerns following the high-profile raids. “Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but violence and destruction are unacceptable.”
Since taking office in January, President Trump has intensified crackdowns on undocumented migrants, whom he has referred to as “monsters” and “animals.” Late Saturday, he signed a memorandum deploying National Guard troops to “address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester,” according to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt.
California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the deployment as “purposefully inflammatory” and warned that it would only escalate tensions. “We are in close coordination with the city and county, and there is currently no unmet need,” he stated on social media platform X.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino reported multiple arrests following the clashes. “You bring chaos, and we’ll bring handcuffs. Law and order will prevail,” he asserted.
Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller labeled the protests as “an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States,” highlighting the administration’s hardline stance.
Los Angeles, the nation’s second-most populous city, is renowned for its cultural diversity. Paramount, the suburb at the center of the unrest, has a population that is 82% Hispanic or Latino, according to U.S. Census data.
The recent events have amplified the national debate over immigration policies and enforcement tactics, leaving communities grappling with fear and uncertainty.
