Trump Sends National Guard to LA Amid Anti-ICE Protests

The move came as protests intensified against federal immigration enforcement operations.

Federal agents clashed with demonstrators in the Paramount area of southeast Los Angeles.

Some protesters waved Mexican flags, while chanting slogans such as "ICE out of L.A.!"

A smaller protest downtown on Saturday night drew about 60 participants.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Pentagon was ready to mobilize active-duty troops "if violence continues."

He noted that Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were "on high alert."

Trump signed a presidential memorandum authorizing the deployment.

The White House said it was intended to "address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester."

Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, confirmed the deployment during a Fox News interview.

California Governor Gavin Newsom criticized the decision as "purposefully inflammatory."

Posting on X, he wrote: "They want a spectacle. Don’t give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully."

Newsom called Hegseth’s suggestion to deploy Marines against American citizens "deranged behavior."

On Truth Social, Trump said, "If Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass can't do their jobs then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!"

The standoff has deepened divisions between Democratic-led Los Angeles and the Trump administration.

The city has a large Hispanic and foreign-born population, according to census data.

Vice President JD Vance accused protesters of waging a "violent insurrection."

"Insurrectionists carrying foreign flags are attacking immigration enforcement officers," he posted on X.

Senior White House adviser Stephen Miller also described the protests as a "violent insurrection."

Two US officials told Reuters that the Insurrection Act had not been invoked.

One official said the National Guard can be deployed within 24 hours.

Troops are being sourced, the official added.

The 1807 Insurrection Act allows the president to use the military to enforce federal law.

It was last invoked during the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

Footage from Paramount showed federal agents in green uniforms and gas masks lining streets.

The road was littered with overturned shopping carts as gas canisters filled the air.

Reuters witnesses saw some protesters being detained.

LAPD posted on X that "multiple people have been detained for failing to disperse after multiple warnings."

No further details or arrest numbers were provided.

"They cannot go anywhere in this country and kidnap our people without fierce resistance," said protester Ron Gochez, 44.

Friday night marked the start of protests after ICE agents arrested at least 44 people for alleged immigration violations.

DHS estimated about 1,000 people participated in Friday’s protests.

Reuters could not independently verify that figure.

Angelica Salas, director of immigrant rights group Chirla, said lawyers had not accessed the detained individuals.

She called the situation "very worrying."

Trump has pledged mass deportations and tighter US-Mexico border security.

The White House has tasked ICE with arresting 3,000 migrants daily.

Critics say the crackdown has also targeted legal residents and permanent residents.

Legal challenges are ongoing.

ICE, DHS, and LAPD did not respond to requests for comment about the raids or protests.

Television footage showed unmarked vans and military-style vehicles in LA streets.

Raids occurred near Home Depot stores, at a garment factory, and at a warehouse, Salas said.

Street vendors and day laborers were reportedly targeted.

Mayor Karen Bass condemned the operations in a statement.

"I am deeply angered by what has taken place," she said.

"These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this."