Donald Trump sends 2000 National Guard troops to California over protests

In a rare move, Donald Trump has deployed 2000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after protests over attempts to round up illegal immigrants sparked riots.

A protester throws a rock amid tear gas from law enforcement in the Paramount section of Los Angeles. Picture: AP

Donald Trump has deployed 2000 National Guard troops to the streets of Los Angeles after protests over attempts to round up illegal immigrants sparked riots.

In a rare move California Governor Gavin Newsom said was “purposefully inflammatory”, the US President took federal control of the state’s National Guard, pushing soldiers into the country’s second-biggest city to “address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester”.

The White House’s move to dramatically ratchet up the response came as protests in Los Angeles extended into a second day, with tear gas and smoke ­filling the air as protesters faced off with Border Patrol agents in riot gear.

Federal agents were seen firing flash-bang grenades and tear gas towards crowds angry at the arrests of dozens of migrants in a city with a large Latino population.

Footage showed a car in flames at a busy intersection, while in video circulating on social media a man in a motorcycle helmet can be seen throwing rocks at speeding federal vehicles. Protesters could be seen jeering at agents and filming them on their phones.

In other scenes, demonstrators threw fireworks at lines of local law enforcement officers called in to try to keep the peace.

People congregate in an intersection as a car burns, during a standoff by protesters and law enforcement. Picture: Reuters

An explosive device detonates behind US Customs agents who fire pepper gas rounds at protesters. Picture: Jonathan Alcorn/ZUMA Press Wire

A man on a motorcycle waves a Mexican flag as smoke rises from a burning car on Atlantic Boulevard. Picture: Reuters

“President Trump has signed a Presidential Memorandum deploying 2000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester,” White House Press Secretary ­Karoline Leavitt said late on Saturday, blaming what she called California’s “feckless” Democratic leaders.

“The Trump administration has a zero-tolerance policy for criminal behaviour and violence, especially when that violence is aimed at law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs.”

The National Guard – a reserve military – is frequently used in natural disasters, such as in the ­aftermath of the Los Angeles fires, but rarely in instances of civil unrest. It was deployed in Los Angeles after the 2020 killing of George Floyd.

Mr Newsom, a frequent foil for Mr Trump and a long-time foe, took to social media to decry Saturday’s White House order. “That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions,” he posted on X.

“LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice. We are in close co-ordination with the city and county, and there is currently no unmet need. This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust.”

US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth threatened to ramp up tensions further, warning that nearby regular military forces could get involved. “If violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be ­mobilised – they are on high alert,” he wrote on social media.

Since taking office in January, Mr Trump has delivered on a promise to crack down hard on the entry and presence of undocumented migrants, whom he has likened to “monsters” and “animals”.

Saturday’s trouble erupted in the suburb of Paramount, where protesters converged on a reported federal facility, which the local mayor said was being used by agents as a staging post.

Demonstrators shout at police. Picture: AP

On Friday, masked and armed immigration agents carried out high-profile workplace raids in separate parts of Los Angeles, attracting angry crowds and setting off hours-long stand-offs.

Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass acknowledged that some city residents were “feeling fear” 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,” Ms Bass said on X.

FBI deputy director Dan Bongino said multiple arrests had been made following Friday’s clashes. “You bring chaos, and we’ll bring handcuffs. Law and order will prevail,” he said on X.

On Saturday, amid chants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to get out, some protesters waved Mexican flags while others set a US flag on fire, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Cement blocks and overturned shopping carts served as crude roadblocks. A crowd swarmed a US Marshals Service bus exiting a nearby freeway, and authorities later closed on and off ramps to keep protesters from taking over the highway and to stop new people from flowing in.

The White House has taken a hard line against the protests, with deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller calling them “an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States”.

Los Angeles, the second-most populous city in the United States, is one of the most diverse places in the country.

Protesters kick the side of a Border Patrol vehicle. Picture: AP

The suburb of Paramount, home to about 50,000 people, is 82 per cent Hispanic or Latino, according to US census data.

The County Sheriff’s Department said it responded on Saturday to a protest in Paramount, about 26km south of downtown Los Angeles.

“As deputies arrived, it appeared that federal law enforcement officers were in the area, and that members of the public were gathering to protest,” Los Angeles County sheriff Robert G. Luna said. The Sheriff’s Department wasn’t involved in any federal law enforcement operations, he said.

In videos on social media, people were seen walking and yelling in the streets. The scene was similar to a series of protests that erupted in downtown Los Angeles on Friday, when people reacted to federal agents engaged in what appeared to be immigration enforcement.

US Attorney for the Central District of California Bilal Essayli on Saturday urged the public to refrain from interfering with federal agents on official business.

“Federal law enforcement operations are proceeding as planned this weekend in Los Angeles County,” he said on X.

“Anyone who obstructs federal agents will face arrest and prosecution.”

The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Los Angeles field office on Friday said its agents were aiding Homeland Security immigration operations around the country.

“As we have been asked to do, we are sending agents to participate in these immigration enforcement efforts. That includes assisting in cities where major operations are already under way and where we have special agents embedded on operational teams with DHS,” a spokeswoman said.

The Wall Street Journal