Protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles continue to draw attention in the United States today, following the deployment of National Guard soldiers ordered by President Donald Trump to disperse them. Clashes with protesters escalated over the weekend with the arrival of the first contingent of troops. Trump signed a memorandum on Saturday to deploy 2,000 military personnel to the city. Yesterday, participants in these actions blocked lanes on highways near the Los Angeles Metropolitan Detention Centre, where they initially gathered, in what was the third day of protests over the wave of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass confirmed at a press conference last night that hundreds of people made it onto the motorway, while thousands more occupied nearby streets. Trump’s decision could be challenged in court. The legal challenge is being studied by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California. ACLU legal and advocacy director Victor Leung said in a statement that this «baseless» deployment of the National Guard by the Trump administration is a clear retaliation» against California and means «a declaration of war» against all residents of the state.
«There is no reason» to deploy the National Guard against Angelenos, who are rightfully outraged by the federal government’s attack on immigrant communities, Leung warned.
«We intend to sue, hold this administration accountable and protect our communities from future attacks,» he said. California Governor Gavin Newsom on Sunday formally called on the federal administration to reverse «the illegal deployment of troops in Los Angeles County». In a post on his social media account X, Newsom wrote that they had «no problem until Trump intervened. This is a gross violation of state sovereignty – exacerbating tensions and diverting resources from where they are needed.» «Rescind the order. Return control to California,» the governor stressed in his message accompanied by text from his office, addressed to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and signed by Secretary of Legal Affairs David Sapp.
Newsom also noted on the internet platform itself that inciting and provoking violence, creating mass chaos, militarising cities and arresting opponents are «the acts of a dictator, not a president». Border czar Tom Homan defended the military’s placement in Los Angeles in an interview with NBC News and threatened to arrest Newsom and Bass «if they overstep their authority». Earlier, the White House justified these ICE operations. It said they are essential to stop and reverse what the Trump administration calls «the invasion of criminal aliens into the United States», according to a statement from press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
