Ongoing demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement escalated again today in Los Angeles, where federal agents in full riot gear reportedly used flash-bang devices to disperse unruly crowds. The federal government now plans to deploy the National Guard, citing what officials called an unacceptable delay by the LAPD in responding to Friday’s unrest.
“We’re going to bring the National Guard in tonight. We’re going to continue doing our job. We’re going to push back on these people and we’re going to enforce the law,” said Tom Homan, Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, during an appearance on Fox News.
According to the Associated Press, California Governor Gavin Newsom confirmed that the state’s National Guard is preparing to send in 2,000 troops to address the unrest.
Governor Newsom posted on X, accusing the federal government of deliberately provoking turmoil. “Sowing chaos so they can have an excuse to escalate,” he wrote.
President Donald Trump addressed the situation directly, issuing a stark warning on his Truth Social account.
“If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can’t do their jobs, which everyone knows they can’t, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”
Photos and video from today revealed chaotic scenes in Paramount, California, where hundreds of protesters clashed with federal officers. The confrontations unfolded outside a Home Depot as demonstrators attempted to block immigration arrests carried out by Border Patrol agents.
Heavily armed federal personnel deployed tear gas in an effort to disperse the crowd, which had taken over the streets in a volatile standoff that lasted for hours.
One protester wearing a helmet was caught on video throwing rocks at vehicles, smashing windows and damaging several Border Patrol trucks.
Footage obtained by Fox News showed that one of the rocks shattered a windshield and injured a federal officer, cutting both the glass and the agent’s hand.
Border Patrol Chief Michael W. Banks stated on X today that “several arrests” had been made for assaulting federal officers.
Another widely circulated video showed an American flag being burned in the street directly across from the Home Depot store surrounded by demonstrators.
Elsewhere, protesters were seen blocking a federal transport bus from leaving with detained individuals, according to video posted on social media.
In Compton, protestors ignited a vehicle during a confrontation with ICE and local law enforcement, ABC7 LA reported.
The protests were sparked by a series of federal immigration raids that began Friday across Los Angeles, targeting locations including the city’s fashion district. The disturbances continued Saturday near the Home Depot in Paramount, according to the ACLU of Southern California.
The Trump administration condemned Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass following the violent response to ICE operations. The Department of Homeland Security said the LAPD took two hours to respond to requests for assistance when clashes first erupted on Friday.
Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said politicians like Bass are “villainiz[ing] and demoniz[ing] ICE law enforcement,” and that this rhetoric fueled the attacks, which included damage to vehicles, property destruction, and violence against officers by nearly 1,000 agitators.
“The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless rioters is despicable, and Mayor Bass and [California] Governor [Gavin] Newsom must call for it to end,” McLaughlin said in a statement released today. “The men and women of ICE put their lives on the line to protect and defend the lives of American citizens.”
According to McLaughlin, assaults on ICE personnel have risen by 413% since President Trump took office in January, compared to the same period the previous year.
Photos released today by DHS show downtown Los Angeles defaced with vulgar graffiti on buildings and fencing. One flyer distributed by the Communist organization RefuseFacism.org read: “The Trump Fascist Regime MUST GO NOW!!!”
Clashes continued Friday night as LAPD officers in riot gear moved in to control the crowd following a day of ICE activity. At least 44 individuals were arrested in the unrest.
Andrew Cuomo, New York mayoral candidate and former governor, weighed in on the developments in both Los Angeles and New York.
“The recent ICE crackdowns in Los Angeles and New York City are a deeply troubling escalation in immigration enforcement tactics that undermine community trust and the principles of due process,” Cuomo said in a statement.
“I believe in upholding the rule of law and maintaining secure borders, but these operations — marked by military-style raids, the use of flash-bang grenades, and the detention of individuals, including those attempting to document the events — cross a line into cruelty and unnecessary fear mongering,” he continued.
According to the ACLU, hundreds of migrants, including minors, were apprehended during Friday’s raids.
However, DHS reported that ICE operations in Los Angeles this week led to the arrest of 118 individuals in the country illegally — among them five gang affiliates and several others facing charges such as drug trafficking, robbery, child abuse, and assault.
In a statement of her own, Mayor Bass denounced the raids and federal actions. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city… We will not stand for this.”
{Matzav.com}