U.S President Donald Trump has announced the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid the escalating protests that erupted following the recent federal immigration raids across Southern California.
The Federal agents faced off with demonstrators for a second consecutive day on Saturday, particularly in the Paramount area of southeast Los Angeles, where protesters gathered—some waving Mexican flags—to denounce the raids and the presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in their communities.
Howbeit, a separate demonstration in downtown L.A. drew around 60 protesters chanting slogans like “ICE out of L.A.!”
In what the White House called “lawlessness that has been allowed to fester”, President Trump signed a presidential memorandum authorizing the deployment of National Guard units to support law enforcement.
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“If local leaders won’t act, the federal government will,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, criticizing both California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. He added, “RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the Pentagon is prepared to escalate the response further. According to Hegseth, active-duty Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton are currently on “high alert” and may be mobilized if the situation continues to spiral. “We are ready to act decisively if violence escalates,” he said.
Governor Newsom responded sharply, calling the administration’s actions “purposefully inflammatory” and “deranged.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Newsom accused Trump of manufacturing a crisis for political theater. “This isn’t about law enforcement shortages,” he wrote. “It’s about creating a spectacle. Don’t give them one. Speak out, but do it peacefully.”
Newsom’s remarks reflect deep concern about the use of military force against American citizens, particularly in a city as diverse as Los Angeles, where a large percentage of residents are Hispanic or foreign-born, according to recent census data. The deployment has been widely criticized by Democratic leaders as an authoritarian overreach aimed at stoking division ahead of the upcoming election season.
Tom Homan, Trump’s appointed border czar, confirmed to Fox News that National Guard troops would arrive in L.A. over the weekend, describing the move as essential for “restoring order.”
The protests and the federal response underscore the widening rift between Democratic-led cities and the Trump administration, particularly around immigration policy. With tensions running high and political rhetoric heating up, the situation in Los Angeles may signal a broader national clash over the role of federal authority in local governance.
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