Elements of Downtown Los Angeles had been underneath a nighttime curfew on Tuesday after LA Mayor Karen Bass declared a neighborhood emergency to “cease the vandalism” and “to cease the looting”.
The protests began on Friday after United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities carried out a collection of immigration raids throughout the town.
The following day, US President Donald Trump issued an govt order to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to LA with out California Governor Gavin Newsom’s consent. Trump ordered the deployment of 700 Marines and an extra 2,000 Nationwide Guard forces on Monday.
This provoked an ongoing battle between state and federal authorities, with Newsom calling Trump’s order a “blatant abuse of energy” and Mayor Bass describing the deployment as an “intentional effort to sow chaos”.
On the federal aspect, Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem referred to Los Angeles as a “metropolis of criminals” and accused native officers of inaction.
How the protests unfolded
Friday, June 6
Morning: ICE carried out coordinated raids throughout LA, focusing on a Residence Depot, garment factories, warehouses and avenue vendor places. At the least 44 people had been arrested for “immigration violations”. The Division of Homeland Safety (DHS) mentioned they included gang members and criminals.
The raids rapidly triggered protests and demonstrations blocked entrances and exits for the Edward R Roybal Federal Constructing in Downtown LA, the place the detainees had been being processed.
Afternoon: David Huerta, president of Service Workers Worldwide Union (SEIU), one of many largest and most influential labour unions within the nation, was arrested outdoors a garment warehouse the place protesters had gathered to oppose an immigration raid. Huerta was taken to the Metropolitan Detention Heart in Downtown LA, the place protesters assembled in solidarity.
Night: The Los Angeles Police Division (LAPD) declared the realm an illegal meeting, deployed tear gasoline, issued tactical alerts and made a number of arrests.
Saturday, June 7
Morning: The following morning, stories emerged of extra immigration raids, this time outdoors a Residence Depot retailer in Paramount, about 26km (16 miles) southeast of downtown LA, the place day labourers usually collect in hopes of being employed for short-term jobs.
There, protesters clashed with safety forces, who used tear gasoline and flashbang grenades to disperse the group.
Afternoon: The protests escalated as demonstrators blocked streets, threw stones and set a car on fireplace. The LA County Sheriff declares the gathering an illegal meeting and makes use of tear gasoline to disperse the group.
BREAKING: ICE raid and group resistance in entrance of Residence Depot in Paramount, California. pic.twitter.com/WdM1Gr93Wi
— Jeremy Lindenfeld (@jeremotographs) June 7, 2025
Night: President Trump orders not less than 2,000 Nationwide Guard troops to be deployed to Los Angeles, federalising them underneath Title 10 of the US Code, which permits the federal authorities to mobilise Nationwide Guard models with out the consent of state governors.
It marked the primary time since 1965 {that a} president had deployed Nationwide Guard troops to a state with no governor’s request.
Sunday, June 8
Morning: About 300 Nationwide Guard troops arrive in downtown LA, Paramount, and neighbouring Compton to safe federal websites, prompting anger and concern amongst many residents.
On essentially the most intense day of demonstrations up to now, 1000’s of protesters gathered in downtown LA close to the Metropolitan Detention Heart, the place they had been met by Nationwide Guard troops deployed to help immigration officers.
Afternoon: Massive crowds march from Metropolis Corridor to the Federal Detention Heart. The LAPD as soon as once more points dispersal orders and begins arrests.
Protesters briefly block sections of the 101 Freeway, disrupting one in every of Los Angeles’ busiest highways. Some demonstrators additionally set fireplace to a number of self-driving automobiles, escalating tensions additional. In response, authorities deployed tear gasoline, rubber bullets and flashbang grenades to disperse the group.
Monday, June 9
Morning: After a comparatively calm night time, the fourth day begins with renewed ICE raids focusing on workplaces throughout Southern California, together with in suburban areas like Santa Ana and Paramount.
Hundreds collect for a big rally at Grand Park in downtown Los Angeles, organised by the SEIU. The demonstration, joined by native officers and members of Congress, requires an finish to the raids, the speedy launch of the SEIU’s Huerta, and the withdrawal of Nationwide Guard troops from the town. Huerta is later launched on a $50,000 bond.
Afternoon: The state of California recordsdata a lawsuit towards President Trump and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth, arguing that the Title 10 deployment of Nationwide Guard troops unlawfully oversteps state sovereignty.
Trump doubles the variety of Nationwide Guard troops from 2,000 to 4,000, whereas additionally deploying 700 Marines in a home deployment not seen in a long time.
Night: Protests proceed across the federal constructing, with a mixture of peaceable rallies and sporadic clashes with police. Authorities deploy tear gasoline and rubber bullets, and tons of of arrests are reported all through the day.
Tuesday, June 10
The protests entered their fifth day, with demonstrations remaining blended, many peaceable, whereas others concerned vandalism, looting, rock throwing and using crowd-control measures.
Newsom and Bass continued to sentence the navy presence as unlawful and damaging, warning it tarnishes the town’s picture because it prepares for main occasions just like the 2028 Olympics and the World Cup. A Pentagon official estimated that the deployment of Marines and Nationwide Guard troops to Los Angeles will value about $134m.
Regardless of mounting criticism, President Donald Trump doubles down on his determination to deploy the Nationwide Guard and Marines to confront protesters in Los Angeles.
Mayor Bass proclaims a curfew for a portion of the downtown space, efficient from 8pm on Tuesday till 6am on Wednesday. The curfew covers an space of roughly 20sq km (7.7sq miles).
Town of Los Angeles at a look
The state of California has the most important Latino or Hispanic inhabitants of any US state, each in complete numbers and as a share of its inhabitants, with almost half of its residents figuring out as such within the 2024 Census.
Los Angeles is the USA’s second-largest metropolis, after New York Metropolis, with a inhabitants of some 3.8 million residents inside its metropolis limits. Town is residence to greater than 1.35 million migrants, which implies that one in each three residents is a migrant, in accordance with the LA city government in 2024.
What are sanctuary cities?
Los Angeles is one in every of many self-claimed sanctuary cities throughout the US, which restrict their cooperation with federal immigration enforcement, notably US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to guard undocumented residents from detention and deportation.
Sanctuary legal guidelines differ from place to position. Some ban asking about immigration standing, whereas others solely refuse to carry individuals on ICE detainers. Being in a sanctuary metropolis or state doesn’t imply somebody is protected from deportation. ICE can nonetheless function and arrest individuals in sanctuary jurisdictions.
Nationwide protests towards ICE deportations
The newest protests in LA are a part of a collection of constant demonstrations by civil society and numerous teams opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a result of detention and deportation of group members.
In response to the Armed Battle Location & Occasion Knowledge Mission (ACLED), an organisation that tracks political violence and protests worldwide, not less than 2,112 demonstrations towards Immigration and Customs Enforcement have occurred since January 2025.
These protests are proven on the map beneath.
