Los Angeles, 9 June 2025:
As the National Guard is deployed, protests intensify in the city. Since President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops, protests in Los Angeles have gotten more intense. Growing protests against federal immigration enforcement actions, especially those targeting undocumented immigrants, prompted the deployment of the troops.
The severity of the current unrest is indicated by the fact that this is the first federalisation of the California National Guard since the 1992 riots. The deployment was denounced by Governor Gavin Newsom, who said it was illegal and politically motivated. Tensions between state and federal authorities have been highlighted by his indications of plans to legally challenge the federal government’s actions.
Following aggressive raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in communities with a large Latino population, the protests started on 6 June. Conflicts between protesters and police have resulted in numerous arrests, serious property damage, including burning cars. In an attempt to disperse the crowds, both local police and federal agents have used less lethal weapons and tear gas. A masked protester is seen riding a dirt bike around a burning car while waving a Mexican flag in a video that has gone viral. Both protest supporters and detractors have responded strongly to this image, which has grown to be a potent symbol of the unrest.
With continuous protests and heightened security across the city, the situation is still extremely tense. The federal government’s strategy is still criticised by lawmakers and civil rights activists as being politically motivated and detrimental to immigrant communities.
