The deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles marks a turning point in the escalating crisis between the federal government and California authorities. Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum ordering the deployment of 2,000 troops– a move that, according to Governor Gavin Newsom–risks “escalating tensions” in a city already heavily involved in protests and clashes.
In the city of Paramount in Los Angeles County–around a Home Depot on Alondra Boulevard which has been a staging area for federal agents rather than an actual ICE raid location–tensions rose further after federal agents confronted demonstrators who had taken to the streets to protest immigration raids. Authorities reported that some protesters waved Mexican flags and wore masks while opposing the increasingly heavy military presence.
In the previous days, operations conducted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the agency primarily responsible for enforcing immigration laws, had already led to the arrest of about 44 people, many of them workers and street vendors. Some witnesses reported that the vehicles involved in the raids resembled military transports, and that armed, uniformed agents were using large store parking lots as operational bases.
The Department of Homeland Security described the protests as violent acts, citing about a thousand people surrounding federal buildings, slashing tires, and defacing public property. Local activists denounced the raids as indiscriminate, targeting residents and individuals with valid documentation, raising legal and constitutional concerns.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also strongly condemned the actions, stating that such tactics “sow terror” and undermine trust between citizens and institutions. Angelica Salas, spokesperson for the immigrant rights organization CHIRLA, explained that many demonstrators had spontaneously gathered after seeing federal vehicles near a Home Depot, fearing a new wave of arrests.
The federal administration also issued the threat of further escalation: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that, should further violence erupt, Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton, currently on high alert, could be deployed.
The White House defended the operation as necessary to restore order. In a post on his Truth Social platform, Donald Trump declared that if local authorities are unable to handle the situation, “the federal government will step in to stop riots and looting in the way it should be done.”
Images broadcast by local news stations showed scenes reminiscent of urban warfare: agents in gas masks lined up among the remnants of makeshift barricades, tear gas, and arrests captured live. Some protesters reiterated that they would not back down, asserting that the affected communities have the right to defend themselves from what they see as an abuse of power.
