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Home / World

Explainer: What to know about the immigration protests in LA

New York Times
8 Jun, 2025 07:59 PM4 mins to read

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US President Donald Trump deployed 2000 troops yesterday to handle escalating protests against immigration enforcement raids in the Los Angeles area, a move the state's governor termed 'purposefully inflammatory'. Photo / Ringo Chiu, AFP

US President Donald Trump deployed 2000 troops yesterday to handle escalating protests against immigration enforcement raids in the Los Angeles area, a move the state's governor termed 'purposefully inflammatory'. Photo / Ringo Chiu, AFP

United States President Donald Trump ordered at least 2000 NationalGuard troops yesterday NZT to be deployed in Los Angeles County.

They are there to help quell two days of protests against recent raids on workplaces looking for immigrants in the country without legal permission.

Any demonstration that got in the way of immigration officials would be considered a “form of rebellion”, Trump said.

His order was an extraordinary escalation that puts Los Angeles squarely at the centre of tensions over his Administration’s immigration crackdown.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said it was “purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions”.

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The protests on Sunday in downtown Los Angeles and the city of Paramount, about 25km south of Los Angeles, were the second consecutive day of demonstrations.

In some cases, law enforcement officers used rubber bullets and flash bang grenades against the protesters.

As of early today, there were no signs of the National Guard troops on streets in the LA area. The protests had died down, but organisers have called for more demonstrations later today.

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Here’s what to know:

How have the protests developed?

Demonstrations broke out in the Los Angeles area at the weekend.

The raids appear to be part of a new phase of the Trump Administration’s immigration crackdown, with officials saying they will increasingly focus on workplaces.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested 121 immigrants across Los Angeles on Saturday, according to a Department of Homeland Security official who spoke on the condition of anonymity.

Police had said earlier in the day that demonstrations in the city were peaceful.

Some of the protests in other areas on Sunday such as Paramount, a city south of downtown Los Angeles that has a large Latino population, were more confrontational.

Demonstrators in some cases clashed with law enforcement officers. Some hurled rocks at police officers, who responded with flash-bang grenades and rubber bullets.

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said protesters exhibited “violent behaviour” and that “intervention became necessary”.

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The Los Angeles Police Department detained a number of protesters near the Metropolitan Detention Centre in downtown Los Angeles yesterday.

What is the National Guard?

The National Guard is the only branch of the US military that can be deployed by both state governors and the president.

It operates similarly to the Army Reserve, with its members attending regular trainings. They can be called into full active duty service but normally hold other jobs.

The National Guard is often used during extreme weather events, such as hurricanes and wildfires.

The last time it was called upon by the President in response to a civil disturbance was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots that erupted after four white police officers who were filmed beating Rodney King, a Black man, were acquitted, according to the National Guard website.

What have officials said?

Trump Administration officials have criticised the state’s political leadership over the protests, while California’s Democratic lawmakers blasted Trump’s order as an inappropriate use of power.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said on social media that the protests were an “Insurrection”.

Although some demonstrations have been unruly, local authorities in Los Angeles County did not indicate yesterday that they needed federal assistance.

Newsom, a Democrat, immediately rebuked Trump’s decision and said the President wanted a spectacle.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said the National Guard’s presence would “not be helpful”.

The city is capable of handling protests, she said, adding that she has been in contact with White House officials and Tom Homan, the border tsar.

Written by: Yan Zhuang

Photographs by: Ringo Chiu, AFP

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

©2025 THE NEW YORK TIMES

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