Trump deploys 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid immigration protest unrest

Los Angeles. US President Donald Trump’s administration on Saturday ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, following a second day of protests against federal immigration raids that turned confrontational.

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon stood ready to dispatch active-duty troops should the situation in the city further deteriorate, noting that Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were on “high alert”.

The move came as federal agents clashed with demonstrators in the Paramount district of southeast Los Angeles. Protesters, some waving Mexican flags, gathered in defiance, while a separate rally in central Los Angeles later drew around 60 participants chanting slogans such as “ICE out of L.A.!”

The White House confirmed that Trump had signed a presidential memorandum authorising the National Guard deployment to address what it termed “lawlessness that has been allowed to fester”. Trump’s border advisor, Tom Homan, told Fox News the troops would be sent out over the weekend.

California Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticised the move, calling it “purposefully inflammatory”. Writing on X (formerly Twitter), he urged demonstrators to remain peaceful, stating: “Don’t give them one. Never resort to violence. Speak out peacefully.”

He also rebuked Hegseth’s remarks about deploying Marines, describing them as “deranged”.

On his Truth Social platform, Trump lashed out at both Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, warning that if they failed to act, “then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem – RIOTS & LOOTERS – the way it should be solved!!!”

The developments have fuelled tensions between the Republican-led administration and Democratic-controlled Los Angeles, a city with a large immigrant and Hispanic population. Trump has made aggressive immigration enforcement a key focus of his second term.

Claims of ‘insurrection’

US Vice President JD Vance labelled the demonstrators “insurrectionists”, accusing them of violence and unpatriotic conduct. “Insurrectionists carrying foreign flags are attacking immigration enforcement officers,” he posted on X.

A senior Trump aide and vocal immigration hardliner Stephen Miller, also characterised the unrest as a “violent insurrection”.

Despite such language, two US officials told Reuters that the Insurrection Act had not been invoked. Nonetheless, National Guard forces can be mobilised within 24 hours, and preparations were reportedly under way to assemble the 2,000 troops authorised.

The 1807 Insurrection Act permits the President to deploy military personnel to quell domestic unrest. It was last invoked in 1992 during riots in Los Angeles, but only following a formal request from the California governor.

Footage from Saturday’s protest in Paramount showed uniformed security forces equipped with gas masks amid clouds of tear gas and debris, including overturned shopping trolleys. While there were reports of protesters being detained, no official arrest figures were released.

The Los Angeles Police Department posted on X that “multiple people have been detained for failing to disperse after multiple warnings”, but provided no additional details.

One protester, 44-year-old Ron Gochez, said: “Now they know that they cannot come into our communities, target our people, and expect to go unchallenged. They will meet organised and fierce resistance.”

Raids spark legal and rights concerns

The protests were triggered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids conducted on Friday across Los Angeles, during which at least 44 individuals were arrested on suspected immigration offences.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) estimated that approximately 1,000 people took part in Friday night’s demonstrations. Reuters could not independently verify this figure.

Angelica Salas, Executive Director of immigrant advocacy group CHIRLA, raised concerns over legal access, stating that lawyers had not been allowed to meet those detained. “This is very troubling,” she said.

President Trump has pledged to ramp up deportations of undocumented migrants, with a target of 3,000 arrests per day. However, the policy has come under fire after reports that lawful residents, including green card holders, were also apprehended.

Neither ICE, DHS nor the LAPD responded to media inquiries regarding Saturday’s operations or the possibility of additional raids.

Television footage on Friday showed unmarked vans and military-style vehicles transporting uniformed federal officers through parts of the city as enforcement actions unfolded.

According to Salas, some raids took place near Home Depot stores frequented by day labourers and vendors, as well as at a garment factory and warehouse.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass strongly condemned the raids, saying: “I am deeply angered by what has taken place. These tactics sow fear and erode the sense of safety in our communities. We will not stand for this.”