Sweeping immigration raids spark mass ICE protests; California governor demands troop withdrawal
President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops to the streets of Los Angeles following a series of aggressive immigration enforcement actions that have ignited widespread ICE protests and outrage across the city.
The deployment, which began with 300 troops on the ground Saturday night, is the latest flashpoint in Trump’s intensified immigration crackdown — a hallmark of his second term. The president declared on Sunday, “We’re going to have troops everywhere,” signalling his intent to see the full deployment take place in the coming days.
Protests erupt following ICE raids
The unrest began Friday, when agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out sweeping arrests across Los Angeles, targeting individuals suspected of violating immigration laws. The raids, which took place in highly public settings such as hardware stores, garment factories, and warehouses, triggered immediate protests in what has become the United States’ second-largest immigrant hub.
According to reports, more than 200 individuals were arrested over the weekend. Among them were 238 Venezuelan men accused of gang affiliation, who were deported without court hearings to a mega-prison in El Salvador. Local leaders, including Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, condemned the raids.
“These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. We will not stand for this,” Bass said in a statement.
Trump’s hardline immigration stance
President Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of undocumented immigrants and has tasked ICE with arresting at least 3,000 individuals per day. His administration claims this is necessary to curb crime and address the cost-of-living crisis, but data from Texas — the only state tracking crime by immigration status — indicates that undocumented immigrants commit fewer felonies than citizens or legal residents.
Despite the lack of supporting evidence, Trump has continued to frame immigration as a national threat. In a post on Truth Social, he declared: “A once great American City, LA, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals.”
California, home to approximately 10.6 million foreign-born residents, 1.8 million of whom are undocumented, has emerged as a primary target for enforcement efforts. Other “blue states” like New York and Illinois are also seeing heightened ICE activity.
National Guard deployment sparks political standoff
The use of the California National Guard — ordered directly by Trump without Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent, has drawn comparisons to federal actions during the civil rights era. This marks the first time since 1965 that a U.S. president has deployed troops to a state without its governor’s approval.
Governor Newsom has formally requested the withdrawal of the troops, arguing their deployment is “inflaming tensions” and may cause further unrest.
“The decision to deploy the National Guard, without appropriate training or orders, risks seriously escalating the situation,” Newsom’s office wrote in a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth.
The California National Guard typically answers to the state governor unless federalized. Their presence on the streets of Los Angeles is now raising questions about constitutional norms and the separation of state and federal authority.
What’s next?
Protests are expected to continue into the week as residents, advocacy groups, and local leaders condemn both the immigration raids and the militarized response. With tensions running high, legal experts warn that the situation could escalate further, especially as federal and state authorities remain at odds.
Meanwhile, ICE operations appear set to expand, and President Trump has doubled down on his message that restoring “law and order” starts with strict immigration enforcement — a strategy that’s already defining his second term in office.
