Federal Deployment Sparks Firestorm in Los Angeles: Protests Turn Violent After ICE Raids

Los Angeles witnessed a dramatic escalation in public unrest after federal immigration raids prompted protests across the city. The situation turned violent, prompting the controversial deployment of the National Guard by President Trump without state consent. The move has sparked legal challenges and renewed concerns over federal overreach.

Los Angeles, California – What began as a series of peaceful demonstrations against recent ICE raids quickly devolved into violent clashes, looting, and chaos across the streets of downtown LA. Protesters, angered by the detention of over 100 undocumented residents, blocked major freeways, set vehicles ablaze, and clashed with heavily armed police forces.

The unrest reached a boiling point when President Donald Trump invoked Title 10 to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops into California — 300 of them in Los Angeles — without Governor Gavin Newsom's consent. This is the first such federal move in the state since the 1965 Watts riots.

Governor Newsom has called the deployment “a direct violation of California's sovereignty” and announced legal action, arguing the move breaches constitutional protections and endangers civil liberties.

Footage from downtown shows scenes resembling urban warfare: burning cars, shattered storefronts, and clouds of tear gas as LAPD officers and Guardsmen attempt to regain control. Journalists, including international reporters, were reportedly injured while covering the clashes.

Mayor Karen Bass condemned the federal action, calling it a “dangerous escalation designed to provoke rather than protect.”

With the situation still volatile, state and city leaders are urging calm while preparing for further legal and political confrontation with the federal government. The city remains on high alert, bracing for more protests and potential unrest.