Tensions flared in Los Angeles as protests erupted following a series of immigration raids conducted by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). What began as a peaceful demonstration of nearly 500 pro-immigration activists on June 8 quickly escalated into unrest, marking the second consecutive day of turmoil.

What did Homeland Security say about the unrest?

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed the situation directly, issuing a warning to those involved in the protests.

“A message to the LA rioters: You will not stop us or slow us down,” Noem declared. She added that ICE agents would “continue to enforce the law,” and warned protesters that “if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”

What triggered the violence?

The protests began near the Los Angeles Federal Building in response to ICE enforcement actions on Friday, June 7. Raids at two key locations in the city led to the arrest of 44 individuals on suspected immigration violations.

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Soon after, clashes erupted as border patrol agents—equipped with riot gear and smoke bombs—confronted demonstrators. White House officials later described the situation as a “violent insurrection,” vowing strict legal consequences for those interfering with federal law enforcement.

Protesters and bystanders gathered at an industrial park in Paramount, where tensions reached a boiling point. Officers used tear gas to disperse the crowd, while demonstrators chanted slogans like “ICE out of Paramount” and held signs reading “No human being is illegal.” Some protestors were seen kicking the sides of Border Patrol vehicles, prompting strong condemnations from federal officials.

Several White House officials criticised Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for publicly opposing federal immigration crackdowns. “Federal law is supreme and it will be enforced,” one senior official remarked.

National Guard troops deployed

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump announced plans to deploy National Guard troops to “address the lawlessness” in California. The move came hours after he warned via social media that if Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Bass failed to take action, “the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem.”

Trump said he will use the federal government to crush the “RIOTERS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!”

“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!!!” Trump wrote.