US President Donald Trump has ordered National Guard troops to Los Angeles, taking federal control of California's state military in a rare move aimed at quelling sometimes-violent protests against federal immigration enforcement raids. This decision, reportedly not seen for decades according to US media, has been strongly condemned by California Governor Gavin Newsom as "purposefully inflammatory" and enacted against his wishes. The deployment into the country's second-largest city follows several days of confrontations stemming from the arrests of dozens of migrants in a city with a large Latino population.

The protests erupted after federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted high-profile workplace raids and arrested dozens of migrants. During these confrontations, federal agents reportedly used flash-bang grenades and tear gas against crowds. Protesters expressed their anger and determination, with one resident stating, "It's up to us to stand up for our people... Whether we get hurt, whether they gas us, whatever they're throwing at us. They're never going to stop us." Scenes from the protests included fires, fireworks, and a burnt-out car spray-painted with an anti-ICE slogan.

The White House, through Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, defended the President's action, blaming "feckless" Democratic leaders in California for allowing "lawlessness to fester." Leavitt reiterated the Trump Administration's "zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers." President Trump himself congratulated the National Guard via Truth Social for "a job well done" and criticized Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Newsom for being "unable to handle the task," drawing a comparison with deadly fires that hit the city in January.

However, Mayor Bass stated on social media platform X that the troops had not yet been deployed on the ground, a sentiment echoed by AFP journalists. Governor Newsom urged residents to protest peacefully and not give federal authorities the "spectacle" they seemingly desire. The situation was further escalated by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who threatened to mobilize active duty Marines from nearby Camp Pendleton if the violence continued. Law professor Jessica Levinson suggested this threat might be largely symbolic due to the general legal restriction on the use of the US military as a domestic policing force in the absence of an insurrection, though she noted the National Guard could provide more than just logistical support.

The Department for Homeland Security said ICE operations in Los Angeles this week had resulted in the arrest of "118 aliens, including five gang members." Saturday's standoff took place in the suburb of Paramount, where demonstrators converged on a reported federal facility that the local mayor said was being used as a staging post by agents. Residents like Fernando Delgado, a 24-year-old resident, condemned the raids as "injustices," emphasizing the humanity of those detained and their contributions to the community, stating, "We're Spanish, we help the community, we help by doing the labor that people don't want to do."

Mayor Bass acknowledged the fear among city residents following the federal immigration enforcement actions. "Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable," she said on X. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said multiple arrests had been made following Friday's clashes and asserted that "law and order will prevail." President Trump has consistently pursued a hardline approach to immigration, likening undocumented migrants to "monsters" and "animals" since taking office in January, and this deployment is a significant manifestation of that policy.