Tension in LA: National Guard Deployed Amid Growing Immigration Protests
So, here's what’s happening in Los Angeles right now—and it's intense. Over the past few days, protests have been erupting across parts of the city following a series of immigration raids by ICE—Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In response, former President Donald Trump made a rare and controversial move: he federalized the California National Guard and sent in about 300 troops. The decision is not just about managing public disorder—it’s making a very loud political statement.
The protests are rooted in outrage over the aggressive immigration enforcement strategies that have ramped up under Trump’s renewed leadership. People have taken to the streets in areas like downtown LA and Paramount, which is predominantly Latino, to voice their anger at the raids, deportations, and arrests of undocumented migrants. Protesters, like local activist Kuali Linda Aleman, have remained defiant. She’s been out there on the front lines with a megaphone, chanting, “Stop the arrests.” She says she’s not afraid, even with National Guard troops deployed across the city. For her and others, this is about defending families and communities who are simply trying to live in peace.
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But things have escalated. The protests—though largely peaceful—have seen moments of tension. Federal agents have used tear gas and “less-lethal” munitions to disperse crowds, while the LAPD, caught in a complicated position, claims they responded as quickly as possible amid a chaotic and uncoordinated situation. ICE, however, blames them for delays and suggests their officers were outnumbered and underprotected. The LAPD denies these claims, pointing to traffic, lack of coordination, and safety concerns due to irritants already deployed by federal agents.
Meanwhile, Trump was sitting ringside at a UFC fight in New Jersey when the decision to deploy the Guard came down. The message was clear: this administration is not going to tolerate what it calls “rebellion” against federal immigration enforcement. Under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, he exercised rare presidential authority to bypass the state and deploy troops, despite California Governor Gavin Newsom calling the move “inflammatory.”
What’s more, reports now suggest that active-duty Marines are on standby if violence continues—another uncommon escalation on U.S. soil. Critics, including Senator Bernie Sanders and others, argue this is a dangerous overreach of presidential power and accuse Trump of stoking fear and chaos. On the other side, his supporters say it’s about law and order.
So far, 29 arrests have been made—mostly for failing to disperse. But the bigger picture here isn’t just about protests or public safety. It’s about the soul of immigration policy in America, the clash between federal power and local governance, and what kind of country we want to be. As the National Guard sets up outside federal buildings in LA, the city holds its breath. But the people on the ground? They’re not backing down.
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