Protests Flare in LA Over Trump’s National Guard Order

Police clear protesters blocking a street during an anti-immigration raid demonstration in downtown Los Angeles, June 8, 2025.

Violent protests broke out in Los Angeles on Sunday as demonstrators set vehicles ablaze and confronted law enforcement following President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to the city.

The unrest, now in its third day, was triggered by large-scale immigration raids that led to dozens of arrests. Officials said those detained were undocumented migrants and suspected gang members. The raids, carried out in broad daylight, ignited anger in a city with a significant Latino population.

Critics accused Trump of intentionally escalating tensions by bypassing state authority and ordering troops into California without Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent. Newsom called the move “a serious breach of state sovereignty,” urging the federal government to revoke the order and return control to the state.

Protesters in downtown Los Angeles set fire to at least three self-driving vehicles and vandalized two others. A major freeway was shut down for over an hour as crowds blocked traffic before being dispersed by highway patrol officers using smoke grenades and flash-bangs.

Initial confrontations between demonstrators and federal agents near a detention center were limited, but most clashes involved local police. By afternoon, officers had set up barricades around key federal buildings to separate protesters from armed National Guard soldiers from the 79th Infantry Brigade, positioned in camouflage and helmets.

As night fell, scattered groups of demonstrators—some masked—remained active in certain areas, hurling projectiles and fireworks. Authorities reported 56 arrests over two days, with three police officers sustaining minor injuries.

When questioned about the troop deployment, Trump remained firm. “You have violent people, and we are not going to let them get away with it,” he said. He also suggested more troops could be sent to other cities and did not rule out invoking the Insurrection Act, which allows the military to operate as a domestic police force.

The military’s Northern Command confirmed that approximately 500 Marines were on standby for possible deployment to support ongoing operations.

The National Guard is typically mobilized for natural disasters or civil emergencies, and usually only with local approval. Trump’s decision to override the state governor marked the first such action since 1965.

Democratic leaders condemned the move as an unnecessary provocation. One called it “a dangerous escalation designed to stir unrest.”

Republican leaders defended the president, accusing California officials of failing to maintain public order. One prominent figure said there was “no concern” about the federal intervention and blamed the state for lacking decisive leadership.

On the streets, protesters described the troop presence as an intimidation tactic rather than a security measure.

“These protests have been peaceful, but now we have armed troops trying to scare people away from using their rights,” said one demonstrator.

Another protester said the issue had grown beyond immigration. “We’re furious about how undocumented people are treated, but this is also about our right to assemble and speak freely,” he said.

Similar immigration raids in other cities have drawn smaller responses, but the unrest in Los Angeles stands out as the most intense challenge to Trump’s immigration policies so far.

Despite the backlash, recent polling before the protests showed a slim majority of Americans still support the crackdown on illegal immigration.