Trump sends 2,000 National Guards in LA to quell protests amid clashes
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National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles after mass immigration arrests triggered widespread protests, prompting President Trump to authorize a forceful federal response.
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US National Guard are deployed around downtown Los Angeles, Sunday, June 8, 2025, following a immigration raid protest the night before. (AP Photo/Eric Thayer)
National Guard troops were deployed to Los Angeles on Sunday following two days of protests sparked by a wave of immigration arrests carried out under President Donald Trump's aggressive enforcement agenda.
Video footage captured Sunday morning showed around a dozen uniformed National Guard members gathered outside a federal building in downtown Los Angeles, where several detainees from Friday's ICE operations are reportedly being held.
At the direction of President #Trump, approximately 300 Soldiers from the #California National Guard's 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team have been deployed to protect three federal facilities in the #LosAngeles metropolitan area. pic.twitter.com/AH0IeVN3bf
— Uncensored News (@Uncensorednewsw) June 8, 2025
Demonstrations began shortly after the arrests and continued throughout the weekend. Another rally was planned for Sunday afternoon near City Hall, not far from the federal complex.
Incredible imagery, the Trump admin. couldn’t have asked for better. pic.twitter.com/mXDQCG2Joj
— @gen0m1cs 🧬📊 (@gen0m1cs) June 8, 2025
US Northern Command confirmed that the deployment is underway, with some forces already on site.
"These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED," Trump wrote on Truth Social early Sunday, defending the deployment.
California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the decision, suggesting the move was politically motivated. "This is him escalating it, causing tensions to rise," he said. "It's only going to make things worse in a situation where people are already angry over immigration enforcement."
Read more: Trump deploys National Guard to LA amid immigration raid protests
Footage from the scene showed military-style vehicles and officers equipped with riot shields stationed around the federal building. The Department of Homeland Security claimed that approximately 1,000 individuals gathered there on Friday to protest, though Reuters said it could not verify those numbers.
Over the weekend, smaller-scale protests erupted in other parts of Los Angeles County. In Paramount on Saturday, law enforcement confronted several hundred demonstrators. Later that evening, clashes also occurred in downtown Los Angeles, where about 100 people had assembled. Witnesses reported that federal officers used gas canisters in both locations to break up crowds.
Troop deployment
According to Los Angeles police spokesperson Norma Eisenman, 27 individuals were arrested during Saturday's protest downtown for failing to disperse. She declined to comment on whether officers used less-lethal force, a term typically referring to tactics like pepper balls. In Paramount, the county sheriff's department confirmed that deputies deployed less-lethal measures, though a spokesperson could not specify what those were. Three people were taken into custody there on suspicion of assaulting officers.
Trump signed a presidential memorandum on Saturday authorizing the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard members, citing "numerous incidents of violence and disorder" related to the enforcement of immigration laws, as well as "credible threats of continued violence."
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that active-duty troops could be activated if necessary. "There is plenty of room for peaceful protest, but ZERO tolerance for attacking federal agents who are doing their job. The National Guard, and Marines if need be, stand with ICE," he posted online.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, speaking on CBS's "Face the Nation," said the troops would help safeguard public buildings, peaceful demonstrators, and law enforcement.
Read more: US immigrants held in appalling conditions at Djibouti base: Intercept
On Friday, ICE officials said they detained at least 44 individuals for alleged immigration violations in the Los Angeles area. The arrests triggered immediate backlash in a city governed by Democrats and home to a large immigrant community, many of whom fear intensified crackdowns under Trump's second-term agenda.
Representative Nanette Barragan, whose district includes Paramount, criticized the deployment. "We don't need the help," she told CNN's "State of the Union." "This is him escalating it, causing tensions to rise."
