It has been just three days since the start of ICE operations in Los Angeles, and tensions are on the verge of escalating into an unprecedented militarization. The Republican administration, responding to protests over migrant arrests, has decided to maintain a strict line by deploying 2,000 California National Guard soldiers under federal authority, a decision not seen in more than fifty years. But it didn’t stop there: the U.S. Northern Command has placed about 500 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Company, stationed at Twentynine Palms in San Bernardino County, in a “prepared to deploy” status. The message is clear: if the situation deteriorates, the soldiers could take to the streets.
In fact, protests, clashes, and vandalism have not been long in coming. Police cars and Waymo self-driving vehicles have been set on fire; tear gas and grenades have been used to disperse crowds, while the chief of police of the “City of Angels” spoke of “increasing attacks” involving Molotov cocktails, fireworks, and rising arrests–over 30 just this past weekend.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called the federal move “illegal and provocative,” announcing legal action against the measures enacted by Trump for violating state sovereignty. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass described it as a “chaotic escalation,” urging citizens to remain calm. Former U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris and independent Senator Bernie Sanders accused the government of using “authoritarian tactics.”
On the other hand, GOP figures like House Speaker Mike Johnson and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth defended the intervention, arguing that sending in the Marines is not a “heavy-handed” move but a necessary deterrent in case of further violence.
ICE announced an intensification of daily raids, with a stated goal of arresting up to 3,000 migrants per day. This unprecedented number represents not only an operational shift but also a clear political message. The National Guard’s presence, already deployed at various sensitive points around the city, contributes to fueling the atmosphere of alarm and instability. And the prospect of a direct Marine intervention raises concerns on legal and constitutional grounds as well.
Meanwhile, the riots, initially concentrated in downtown Los Angeles, have rapidly spread to the suburbs. In Paramount, Compton, Watts, and other nearby areas, anger has quickly flared: streets blocked, highways occupied, vehicles set ablaze, and increasingly violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement. Images coming from these neighborhoods resemble urban guerrilla warfare scenarios, with residents torn between fear for their safety and solidarity with the demonstrators.
What began as a local outbreak is now taking on the shape of a national crisis. In recent hours, spontaneous marches and tense moments have also been reported in New York, Chicago, Phoenix, Arizona, and Atlanta, where hundreds of people have taken to the streets to protest the raids, militarization of the territory, and what many call an authoritarian drift in immigration management.
