Los Angeles Protests Against “Federal ICE” and “Cold Abies”: Newsom’s Comments on “Construction of the California National Guard”
Newsom said in a statement on Saturday that law enforcement assistance was available to Los Angeles authorities who requested it and that there was currently “no unmet need.” He claimed that the federal government was about to take over the California National Guard.
In downtown Los Angeles Sunday, two protests converged near the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal prison where immigrants were held. The demonstrations were tense and rowdy. NPR reporters say tear gas was deployed and an “unlawful assembly” was declared from a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter.
The defense secretary wrote in a post that the Marines are on high alert and would be activated if there is more violence.
“We did not have a problem until Trump got involved,” he wrote. “This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed.”
Trump said he could also deploy troops to more cities. ICE actions sparked protests in multiple cities across the country, including Minneapolis and Chicago.
ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said in a statement that “rioters attacked federal ICE and law enforcement officers on the LA streets” and that crowds also “surrounded and attacked a federal building.”
An unknown number of people were arrested in the clashes. One of them was SEIU California president David Huerta. The union said he was injured during his arrest and later released from custody. Huerta was arrested for interfering with federal officers and will be arraigned on Monday in federal court.
Analyzing Los Angeles Immigration Actions as a “Terrorist” Observation: Mayor Karen Bass and the Los Angeles Protests
Trump wrote on Truth Social early Sunday morning that the National Guard was doing a great job. The National Guard can be activated by governors for local or statewide emergencies, and U.S. presidents can also call up the National Guard for federal missions, putting the force in the military chain of command.
The chiefs of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in statements that they don’t participate in federal immigration enforcement actions but are working to keep the public safe.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said on Friday that she was “angered” by immigration enforcement actions that “sow terror” in the community. She said that they wouldn’t stand for it.
Following some of the unrest on Saturday, Bass said in another statement that “everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
The president told reporters on Sunday evening that law and order would be ensured. The Los Angeles protests were a “riot” and that justified calling in the National Guard to support ICE agents.
“It’s important we respect the executive authority of our country’s governors to manage their National Guards — and we stand with Governor Newsom who has made it clear that violence is unacceptable and that local authorities should be able to do their jobs without the chaos of this federal interference and intimidation,” they wrote in their statement.
A third day of protests Sunday turned Los Angeles into a “tinderbox,” according to Mayor Karen Bass, as law enforcement clashed with demonstrators over a series of federal immigration raids.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement said in a Saturday post on X that it had arrested 118 immigrants during operations in Los Angeles last week. Police in Los Angeles and Paramount have clashed with demonstrators protesting the raids.
Police deployed tear gas and pepper spray as protesters gathered outside a detention center on Sunday. Some of the immigrants were initially held at the facility.
At least three officers were injured as police clashed with protesters demonstrating in the city’s downtown support of the Los Angeles protests against immigration raids in other parts of California, according to San Francisco police.
The police stated on X that they were conducting arrests and people were throwing objects. LAist reported that the Los Angeles police had arrested 10 people and the Highway Patrol had arrested 17 people on the 101 freeway.
Los Angeles Mayor Vicinity: Law and Order in a Civil War, not the National Guard, or the Anti-Deportation of the Free People
“Everybody here wants to be peaceful,” Anna Benedict told LAist. No one is threatening the National Guard, we have been standing here for a while. Everybody is just standing up for their own freedom.”
Eli says an attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.
We’re going to have troops all over the place. We’re not going to let this happen to our country. We’re not gonna let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden and his autopen,” Trump said Sunday. (The reference to an “autopen” comes after Trump last week ordered an investigation into whether his predecessor Joe Biden used an autopen to sign documents in office).
Karen Bass said that coordination with federalized National Guard troops iscollaborative, at this point, but she was critical of Trump’s decision to deploy them.
“I believe that these raids and now the federalization of troops to come into Los Angeles is an intentional effort to sow chaos,” Bass said. She said she didn’t want civil unrest to take place in the city and that she didn’t think the National Guard was a good idea.
After promising to conduct mass deportations in his second term, Trump’s administration appears likely to push for even more immigration enforcement.
At Camp David, Trump will meet with people, including generals and admirals. Asked about sending Marines and protests in other cities, Trump left open that possibility.
“The bar is what I think it is. If we see danger to our country, we will be very strong in terms of law and order. It’s about obeying the law, Trump said.