After the Department of Homeland Security’s widespread and public crackdown on Los Angeles’ immigration communities this week, federal officials were mobilizing some 2,000 National Guard soldiers to respond to protests.

The White House confirmed Saturday that President Donald Trump has signed a directive to deploy 2,000 National Guardsmen to address "the lawlessness."

"The Trump Administration has a zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

In recent days, violent mobs have attacked ICE Officers and Federal Law Enforcement Agents carrying out basic deportation operations in Los Angeles, California.

These operations are essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States.

In…

— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) June 8, 2025

As National Guard members were deployed "immediately," the Department of Defense also warned, if violence continues, active duty marines at Camp Pendleton will be deployed.

"They are on high alert," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on social media. "Under President Trump, violence & destruction against federal agents & federal facilities will NOT be tolerated. It’s COMMON SENSE.

The violent mob assaults on ICE and Federal Law Enforcement are designed to prevent the removal of Criminal Illegal Aliens from our soil; a dangerous invasion facilitated by criminal cartels (aka Foreign Terrorist Organizations) and a huge NATIONAL SECURITY RISK.

Under President…

— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) June 8, 2025

The decision came after the DHS said its recent raids, including those in downtown Los Angeles and Westlake, resulted in more than 100 arrests while ICE agents faced violence and harassment from protesters, federal officials said Saturday.

"This week’s ICE operations led to 118 arrests, including five alleged gang members and those linked to domestic violence, robbery, drug traffic and human smuggling," the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a brand of the Department of Homeland Security, said.

Following the public spectacles with federal agents in helmets and rifles as well as armored trucks, by Friday evening, protesters poured out into the streets of downtown LA, surrounding the federal building and blocking intersections and freeway offramps.

As the tense scenes unfolded across the region, White House Border Czar Tom Homan was in Los Angeles this weekend, a White House official confirmed with NBC News. 

Homan said on Fox News Saturday that federal authorities were mobilizing to deploy the National Guard.

During the clash between federal agents and protesters, the HSI claimed it was outnumbered while the Los Angeles Police Department did not move quickly to support its officials.

“It took the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) 2 hours to respond,” the HSI said in a statement. “(Friday night), over 1,000 rioters surrounded a federal law enforcement building and assaulted ICE law enforcement officers, slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer funded property.”

ICE Acting Director Todd M. Lyons also claimed his agents called the LAPD’s support “multiple times.”

“The brave men and women of ICE were in Los Angeles arresting criminal illegal aliens including gang members, drug traffickers and those with a history of assault, cruelty to children, domestic violence, robbery, and smuggling,” Lyons said in a statement Saturday, with the HSI claiming ICE agents face a 413% increase in assaults against them.

But LAPD pushed back on the claim, saying it acted as "swiftly" as possible, despite delays caused by the used of tear gas.

"Our response time was impacted by significant traffic congestion, the presence of demonstrators, and, notably, by the fact that federal agents had deployed irritants into the crowd prior to LAPD’s arrival. This created a hazardous environment for responding officers," the LAPD said in a statement, adding that it began dispersing crowd within 55 minutes of receiving the call.

As the DHS also blamed Democratic leaders including Mayor Karen Bass for endangering ICE agents, Governor Gavin Newsom took to social media to warn that some 2,000 National Guard soldiers were being sent to Los Angeles.

“That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions,” Newsom said. “The Guard has been admirably serving LA throughout recovery. This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.”

Friday’s ICE raids resulted in the detainment of day laborers at the Home Depot parking lot of the Westlake District on Wilshire Boulevard. Other two groups of agents also ambushed two offices of a clothing company over “fictitious” employed documents, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli confirmed with NBC Los Angeles Friday.