Trump Sends National Guard to Los Angeles Amid Immigration Raid Unrest

US President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles following two days of unrest in the city’s Paramount district, where residents, largely from the Latino community, have clashed with federal agents over immigration raids.

The clashes erupted after reports of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers conducting operations targeting undocumented migrants in the area.

The city of Paramount, a small working-class community of around 51,000 residents bordering Compton in south Los Angeles County, has become the latest flashpoint in a growing national debate on immigration enforcement.

On Saturday afternoon, the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department reported that a large crowd blocked traffic on Paramount Boulevard. Protesters confronted ICE agents, prompting federal authorities to use tear gas and what they described as “less lethal munitions” to disperse the gathering.

The unrest led to a swift federal response. Trump, in an official directive, stated that the presence of the National Guard would "temporarily protect" immigration officers and ensure the enforcement of federal law.

“To the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States,” the president declared.

California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the move, accusing the federal government of deliberately escalating the situation.

“The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles — not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle. Don't give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully,” he posted on social media.

Trump, however, doubled down on his stance, using social media to thank the National Guard for a “job well done” and calling the protests a “Radical Left” effort orchestrated by “paid troublemakers.”

In the same post, he announced a controversial ban on masks at protests, stating, “From now on, MASKS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to be worn at protests.”

Although Trump claimed on social media that the Guard had already carried out their duties in Los Angeles, the BBC and other independent media outlets have not confirmed the actual arrival or activity of the troops.

Meanwhile, tensions remained high across the city. The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) issued dispersal orders in downtown Los Angeles, particularly around a federal detention centre.

“Multiple people have been detained for failing to disperse after multiple warnings,” the LAPD said, adding that the use of "less lethal munitions" had been authorised and could “cause pain and discomfort.”

US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth also weighed in, stating on X (formerly Twitter) that the Department of Defence was “mobilizing the National Guard IMMEDIATELY” to support law enforcement in Los Angeles.

He warned that if violence persisted, active duty Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton — a major base in southern California — could be mobilised.

“They are on high alert,” he noted.

In a stark and controversial statement, Hegseth claimed the unrest was “a dangerous criminal invasion facilitated by criminal cartels (aka Foreign Terrorist Organisations) and a huge NATIONAL SECURITY RISK.”

He went on to say that violent actions targeting federal officers and facilities would not be tolerated under Trump’s administration.

“It’s COMMON SENSE,” he posted.

The deployment marks one of the most confrontational responses by the federal government to civil unrest during Trump's second term, drawing comparisons to previous crackdowns during his first presidency.

Critics argue that the move reflects a broader pattern of militarising immigration enforcement and suppressing dissent, particularly in Democratic-led states like California.

Civil rights groups and immigrant advocates have warned that the show of force could further inflame tensions and provoke more unrest, rather than restore order.

They have also raised alarm over the rhetoric linking immigrant communities to terrorism, calling it irresponsible and dangerous.

As the situation develops, both the scale of the federal response and the reaction from local communities will likely shape the national discourse on immigration and civil liberties in the months ahead.