Los Angeles officials have enforced a curfew on the downtown area for a second night as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids pop up in other major cities.
The Trump administration has filed a response to California Governor Gavin Newsom’s lawsuit to stop the “unnecessary” deployment of U.S. Marines to Los Angeles, in addition to the 4,000 federalized California National Guard troops ordered into the city.
According to the filing, the LAPD is “unable to bring order” to LA, six days after protests began against ICE raids to round up those in the country illegally as part of Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
Protests and confrontations with police sparked wider problems of vandalism and looting in downtown Los Angeles. LAPD reported mass arrests. Local residents blame the president for exacerbating tensions through the deployment of troops.
Mayor Karen Bass said the curfew was a response to the president’s “chaotic escalation” of the situation through his deployment of the Guard and the upcoming addition of 700 Marines, who are training 30 miles south of the city.
Troops are authorized to temporarily detain individuals until law enforcement agents arrive to make an arrest, Major General Scott Sherman said this morning, and have begun to do so. They are backed up by unarmed Predator drones, which are being used for high-altitude surveillance.
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Key Points
- National Guard troops have already temporarily detained civilians
- LAPD detained more than 200 protesters on Tuesday
- 'Predator drones' flown over LA protests, report says
- Trump may send military troops to other cities
- Mapped: Where have anti-ICE protests taken place?
- Why are people protesting in LA? Why has that triggered unrest, rioting and a curfew?
Where things stand today...
Wednesday 11 June 2025 15:27
,
Oliver O'Connell
- The Trump administration responded to California Governor Gavin Newsom's lawsuit against the deployment of U.S. Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles, claiming the LAPD is "unable to bring order."
- Protests in Los Angeles over ICE raids led to vandalism and looting, prompting a curfew and mass arrests, with local residents blaming President Trump for escalating tensions.
- Mayor Karen Bass criticised President Trump's "chaotic escalation" of the situation through the deployment of troops.
- Governor Newsom slammed the federalization of the California National Guard, stating that, in addition to being “illegal” and “unnecessary,” it has depleted the state’s ability to respond to large wildfires.
- The Department of Justice defended the deployment, asserting the President's right to quell violence and protect federal personnel, accusing Newsom of a "crass political stunt."
- Unarmed Predator drones are being used by the Department of Homeland Security for high-altitude surveillance of the protests in Los Angeles.
LA mayor warns 'vandalism and violence will not be tolerated' in reminder about city curfew
03:50
,
Rachel Dobkin
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took to X to remind Angeleos of the city’s curfew that officials started to enforce last night.
She warned bad actors: “Vandalism and violence will not be tolerated.”
Curfew remains in effect tonight 8 PM - 6 AM for Downtown Los Angeles to stop bad actors who are taking advantage of the President's chaotic escalation.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) June 12, 2025
If you do not live or work in Downtown L.A., avoid the area and follow guidance from law enforcement.
Vandalism and…
Newsom and Trump are in a strange meme war
03:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Donald Trump have been going head-to-head over the handling of the Los Angeles protests against ICE raids in the city.
Newsom has challenged Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in court, and the White House has been flirting with invoking the Insurrection Act.
In recent days, both sides have posted a flurry of memes on X mocking the other.
For his part, California Governor Gavin Newsom’s office has shared posts mocking Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s love of wearing law-enforcement tactical gear, as well as memes comparing Donald Trump and White House deputy Stephen Miller to villains from the Star Wars franchise, and brushing off a critical video from Trump ally and actor Jon Voightusing a common meme from The Simpsons, featuring an image of a newspaper with the headline, ‘Old Man Yells At Cloud.’
The Trump administration, which regularly bashes critics online from government accounts, has used similar tactics.
In one post, the Department of Homeland Security borrowed a GIF featuring high-tech magnifying sunglasses from the Spy Kids movies to insinuate they would try to deport a popular fashion writer who has criticized the administration’s position towards undocumented migrants.
In another, in a response to a Star Wars-themed meme from Newsom, DHS drew from The Simpsons using a common meme format with the caption, ‘Don’t make me tap the sign,’ in this case pointing to an X post that read, “Liberals don’t know things. They don’t read history, they don’t obsess over stats, the few data points they do see they forget.”
Read more from Josh Marcus.
LA police chief gives shocking details about the actions of 'anarchists' at protests after dark
03:10
,
Rachel Dobkin
LA Police Chief Jim McDonnell described in shocking detail the actions of what he calls “anarchists” at protests once nightfall comes in a Wednesday evening interview on CNN:
“ For most of the day and the organized protests, it's people who are out there expressing their feelings peacefully, generally speaking. Once nightfall comes, we start to see a different group of people, and among those people are people I would describe as black block type protestors, anarchists, if you will.
They come prepared and they're very sophisticated. They do have radio communications. They do move around, they do monitor police channels and they'll create distractions in order to draw us away from a scene where we're about to make arrests. So where we have no choice but to go somewhere else.
“They have weapons of all kinds. We arrested a number of people last night for curfew violations. I think three out of the 14 were armed with weapons, handguns...We've seen in those backpacks that they'll have hammers, they'll break up curb stones and concrete bollards, break up [them] into smaller pieces, which they'll then throw at police...I've seen somebody today walking around with golf balls in a backpack...
We've seen commercial grade fireworks being fired at our people with shrapnel being put in, from what I'm told...that is pretty scary stuff when you look at it. Liquid being thrown on our officers.
The attitude of our officers and the professionalism and restraint that they've shown is remarkable. They've done a tremendous job out there, and I'm very proud of them.”
Watch LIVE: View of Downtown Los Angeles before citywide curfew
02:50
,
Rachel Dobkin
Watch LIVE: Protesters rally at Roybal Federal Building In Downtown Los Angeles
02:40
,
Rachel Dobkin
LA police chief issues warning to bad actors as city curfew nears
02:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell issued a warning to bad actors as the city’s curfew nears: “You will be arrested if you violate the law.”
“Today has been a better day,” McDonnell said on CNN about the protests against ICE raids in the city, calling it “calmer.”
But he warned: “Once nightfall comes, in particular, we start to see others come out who are intent on violence and intent on disruption in a different way.
So for those people our message is that we’re watching very closely and you will be arrested if you violate the law.”
Curfew will be enacted at 8 p.m. local time.
Protesters detained in NYC
02:10
,
Rachel Dobkin
At least five people were taken into police custody in Manhattan Wednesday night after officers cleared roughly 200 protesters from the street, The New York Times reported.
Last night, police arrested 86 protesters in Manhattan. Of those arrested, 34 were charged with crimes including assault, resisting arrest, and obstructing governmental administration, per abc7NY.
People in Texas say protesters are afraid of National Guard
01:50
,
Rachel Dobkin
People in Texas said protestors are afraid of what will happen now that Governor Greg Abbott has deployed the National Guard in response to protests that have popped up in the state.
“I think the National Guard made a lot of people afraid,” 21-year-old Pinky Ochoa told The Associated Press while at San Antonio’s city hall.
Pedro Ruiz, 53, said in response to the mostly quiet downtown area: “I think a lot of people fear what’s going to happen.”
Texas officials confirmed the National Guard was present at a protest downtown.
CA senator says Pete Hegseth sent Marines to Los Angeles just because Trump 'told him he should'
01:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
Senator Tammy Baldwin, a Wisconsin Democrat, slammed Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s non-response when asked what legal authority the Trump administration had to send 700 Marines to Los Angeles.
During an interview on MSNBC, Baldwin recalled an exchange she had with Hegseth earlier Wednesday during a Senate hearing.
She had asked the defense secretary what legal authority the Trump administration had to send Marines in response to the protests against ICE raids in Los Angeles, and “he couldn’t answer the question.”
Hegseth had told Baldwin, “I’d have to pull up the specific provision,” when she probed him in the hearing.
“But our Office of General Counsel, alongside our leadership, has reviewed and ensured, in the order that we set out, that it’s completely constitutional for the president to use federal troops to defend federal law enforcement,” he had said.
Baldwin told the hosts of The Weeknight it was “shocking that the defense secretary could not answer” the question.
“I think he was just doing it because Donald Trump told him he should,” she added.
CA Democrat says ICE is 'snatching babies' and 'taking grandmothers'
01:10
,
Rachel Dobkin
Representative Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a California Democrat, claimed ICE agents were “snatching babies” and “taking grandmothers” during an MSNBC interview Wednesday.
Kamlager-Dove slammed federal officials for “snatching babies from elementary schools and taking grandmothers when they were going shopping.”
“That is not immigration reform,” she said.
Martir Garcia Lara, a fourth-grade student at Torrance Elementary School in southern California, was detained while attending an immigration court hearing with his father in Houston on May 29, according to multiple reports.
Grandparents Gladys and Nelson were detained during an immigration appointment in February, according to a Southern California family who spoke to KTLA.
“I didn’t even know they had the appointment and I didn’t even say goodbye to my dad that morning. I didn’t get to say goodbye to them,” one of the couple’s daughters, Gabby Gonzalez, said.
Man accused of throwing fireworks at LA police charged
Thursday 12 June 2025 00:50
,
Rachel Dobkin
Juan Rodriguez, a man accused of throwing commercial-grade fireworks at Los Angeles police during a protest against ICE raids on Sunday, has been charged, NBC Los Angeles reported, citing local officials.
Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell previously confirmed an officer was injured by the fireworks.
“I’ve watched Molotov cocktails and fireworks, shot mortars being launched out of tubes at our officers,” he said.
McDonnell continued: “Let’s not forget our officers face uncertain and often dangerous situations every day. And their risk to their lives has been even grader in these last few days.”
Newsom uses Trump's National Guard deployment to launch firefighter recruitment effort
Thursday 12 June 2025 00:30
,
Rachel Dobkin
In announcing a new recruitment effort, California Governor Gavin Newsom claimed that the state’s firefighting resources are being threatened by President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops in response to the Los Angeles protests.
“California’s firefighting resources are already seeing cuts by the U.S. @ForestService, and now, Trump’s illegal military deployment threatens them even further.
That’s why I’m launching a new @CAL_FIRE recruitment drive to ramp up efforts and keep our communities safe,” Newsom wrote on X Wednesday.
California’s firefighting resources are already seeing cuts by the U.S. @ForestService, and now, Trump’s illegal military deployment threatens them even further.
— Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) June 11, 2025
That’s why I’m launching a new @CAL_FIRE recruitment drive to ramp up efforts and keep our communities safe. pic.twitter.com/9LPcsRvLgX
In a press release further explaining the firefighting recruitment effort, Newsom said about 300 California National Guard fire crews have been diverted to Los Angeles armories, “cutting CalGuard’s firefighting force by three-quarters.”
Gavin Newsom refutes claims circulated by Trump ally about his wife shopping during LA protests
Thursday 12 June 2025 00:10
,
Rachel Dobkin
Richard Grenell, a White House special envoy for special missions, claimed on X that California Governor Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, “don’t care about the choas” in Los Angeles.
Grenell’s comments were in response to a Daily Mail story claiming Jennifer was shopping in Beverly Hills Monday during the ongoing protests against ICE raids.
“She came to Los Angeles to shop using her $4k purse,” Grenell posted. “@GavinNewsom and his wife don’t care about the chaos.”
The governor’s press office refuted the Mail’s claims, writing on X, “This story is an outright lie and needs to be retracted entirely.”
“The photo is from months ago — when the first partner was picking up skin care products. She is recovering from a past skin cancer diagnosis, you SICK people.”
Read more from Rhian Lubin.
House report slams 'egregious' overspending by ICE
Wednesday 11 June 2025 23:50
,
Rachel Dobkin
A new report by the House Appropriations Committee found that Immigration and Customs Enforcement spent more money than it had received for this fiscal year.
“Actions already taken in fiscal year 2025 are especially egregious—ICE began spending more than its appropriated level shortly after the fiscal year commenced and operations now far exceed available resources,” the report states.
The report comes as protests against President Donald Trump’s mass deportation of illegal immigrants erupt all over the country.
Read more from Gustaf Kilander.
Hegseth asked about drone deployment in Senate hearing
Wednesday 11 June 2025 23:32
,
Oliver O'Connell
This morning Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was asked about the possibility of drones being deployed in Los Angeles during a Senate hearing.
Later, footage emerged that appears to show unarmed Predator drones being used for high-altitude surveillance of protests in downtown LA.
Barron Trump’s friend Bo Loudon claims he got ICE to detain TikTok star Khaby Lame
Wednesday 11 June 2025 23:13
,
Oliver O'Connell
Bo Loudon, the purported “best friend” of Barron Trump, has claimed he is responsible for the arrest of the world’s most famous TikToker who was detained by ICE and later forced to leave the U.S.
The MAGA, Gen-Z influencer, who has been pictured numerous times with the president and his son, said he had “personally taken action” to have Khaby Lame deported.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
White House thrilled with how events are unfolding in LA: ‘We couldn’t have scripted this better’
Wednesday 11 June 2025 22:54
,
Oliver O'Connell
Josh Marcus writes:
Los Angeles may resemble a war zone, with thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines deployed in response to widespread anti-immigration raid protests, but the Trump White House reportedly couldn’t be happier about the politics of the situation.
“We couldn’t have scripted this better,” a senior White House aide told The Atlantic of the dynamic inside the Oval Office. “It’s like the 2024 election never ended: Trump is strong while Democrats are weak and defending the indefensible.”
Read on...
Jon Voight heaps praise on Trump and calls Newsom a ‘lying dog’ over LA protests
Wednesday 11 June 2025 22:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
Actor Jon Voight has lashed out at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, calling him a “fool” for “allowing destruction” to tear through Los Angeles in the anti-ICE riots.
“You’re a fool blaming Trump!” he begins in his tirade, posted to his X account, against the backdrop of an American flag on Tuesday.
Madeline Sherratt reports.
Geraldo: ICE rounding up 'law-abiding' residents to meet quota
Wednesday 11 June 2025 22:27
,
Oliver O'Connell
Former Fox News host and friend to Donald Trump says that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents are rounding “law-abiding, long-time residents” in an effort to meet the deportations per day target set by the Trump administration.
He wrote on X: “ICE is failing to meet its 3,000 Deportations a Day goal because there are not enough criminal migrants at large. So-to satisfy their quota-ICE will round up tax-paying, law-abiding, long-time residents. They are our neighbors, and deserve better than this preemptory deportation.”
ICE is failing to meet its 3,000 Deportations a Day goal because there are not enough criminal migrants at large. So-to satisfy their quota-ICE will round up tax-paying, law-abiding, long-time residents. They are our neighbors, and deserve better than this preemptory deportation.
— Geraldo Rivera (@GeraldoRivera) June 11, 2025
Newsom shades Arkansas governor
Wednesday 11 June 2025 22:20
,
Oliver O'Connell
California Governor Gavin Newsom through some shade at his Arkansas opposite number Sarah Huckabee Sanders, after the former Trump White House press secretary said: “What’s happening in California would never happen here in Arkansas because we value order over chaos.”
Newsom retorted: “Your homicide rate is literally DOUBLE California’s.”
Your homicide rate is literally DOUBLE California’s. https://t.co/wiva57iu6i
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 11, 2025
Chicago sees 17 arrests at protest with thousands in attendance
Wednesday 11 June 2025 22:10
,
Oliver O'Connell
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson says the city’s police have managed crowds appropriately during recent immigration protests in response to aggressive ICE raids in the city and in solidarity with Los Angeles.
The largest gathering in Chicago occurred downtown on Tuesday, when thousands filled a plaza and surrounding streets during the evening rush hour.
Some incidents of vandalism took place, and a 66-year-old woman was injured after being struck by a car.
“The vast majority of protesters remain peaceful and organized,” Johnson said.
There were 17 arrests in the city in connection with downtown protests during rush hour Tuesday. Some were charged for vandalism, police say.
Four people face felony charges, including for aggravated battery against an officer of the peace.
Wednesday 11 June 2025 22:01
,
Oliver O'Connell
Texas governor refuses to reveal National Guard plan for state
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:54
,
Oliver O'Connell
Speaking at a bill-signing news conference Wednesday, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott of Texas would not say how many troops will be used or how in his plan to mobilize the National Guard in the state.
He added only that they will be in “strategic locations where they can provide the most robust response” if needed.
“There are others outside of this room who would like to know that. And I’m not going to tell them,” Abbott said.
Protests are planned in San Antonio on Wednesday night and in other cities around the state this weekend. San Antonio officials have said they didn’t ask for the Guard to be sent.
“We want to make sure that what has happened in California does not happen in Texas,” Abbott said.
AP
Explained: Why is LA protesting?
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:46
,
Oliver O'Connell
Here, The Independent breaks down what you need to know as LA experiences its sixth day of unrest.
National Guard troops have already temporarily detained civilians
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:43
,
Oliver O'Connell
National Guard troops deployed to protect federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles have already temporarily have detained civilians, according to the commander in charge of the military operation in the city.
Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman said the civilians were quickly turned over to local law enforcement.
He also said about 500 of the National Guard troops have been trained so far to accompany agents on immigration operations.
Photos of guard members providing security for the agents have already been circulated by immigration officials.
Sherman is commander of Task Force 51, which is overseeing the more than 4,000 Guard troops and 700 Marines who have been deployed to Los Angeles to provide security during the protests.
LAPD detained more than 200 on Tuesday
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:35
,
Oliver O'Connell
The LAPD say they detained over 200 people on Tuesday and two officers were injured.
The vast majority of people — 203 — were detained for failing to disperse Tuesday, and 17 others for violating the curfew that set in at 8 p.m. over part of Los Angeles, police said in a statement Wednesday.
Police arrested several more people for possessing a firearm, assaulting a police officer and shining a laser at a police “airship.”
Police said they used “numerous” less lethal munitions to control the crowd. Two officers were injured Tuesday, bringing the total number injured over the past several days of protests to nine.
AP
Celebrities blast ‘ruthless’ and ‘inhumane’ ICE raids
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:30
,
Oliver O'Connell
Celebrities from across Los Angeles have spoken out against the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids currently being conducted in the city, and have lent their support to those protesting against them.
They have also criticized Donald Trump’s handling of the situation after the President sent in the military to crack down on protests. In an unprecedented move, Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles without California Governor Gavin Newsom’s permission.
Kevin E G Perry reports from Los Angeles.
LA Mayor: Curfew could be lifted if arrests drop but will remain in place for now
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:24
,
Oliver O'Connell
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said an overnight curfew for downtown neighborhoods will remain in effect indefinitely.
Bass said officials will consider lifting it if there are fewer arrests Wednesday night.
“What I’m hoping is that Angelenos got the message last night,” she said.
How long it will remain in place also depends on the response by the federal government, Bass said.
“If there are raids that continue, if there are soldiers marching up and down our streets, I would imagine that the curfew will continue,” she said.
AP
Karoline Leavitt gets fiery as she’s pressed on Trump’s military response to Los Angeles protests
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:20
,
Oliver O'Connell
Andrew Feinberg writes:
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt got into a heated back and forth with reporters on Wednesday as she held her first briefing since President Donald Trump’ federalized the National Guard in California and sent active-duty Marines to join them in cracking down on protests and unrest over immigration roundups in Los Angeles.
Leavitt condemned the protests as “shameful,” citing what she described as “left-wing radicals waving foreign flags” who she accused of “viciously attacking” Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers and Border Patrol agents as well as Los Angeles Police Department officers as part of an assault on “American culture and society itself.”
Leavitt also condemned Democratic elected officials in the Golden State, specifically Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, accusing them of having “shamefully failed to meet their sworn obligations to their citizens” by not ordering a forceful military response to protesters.
Read on...
Hegseth defends use of troops to protect immigration raids in Los Angeles
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:12
,
AP
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended his decision to order troops to provide security during federal immigration raids in Los Angeles, telling senators on Wednesday it's about “maintaining law and order.”
Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., condemned the move as illegal, saying it erodes military readiness and questioning how it is being funded. It was the second day of harsh congressional questioning for Hegseth on the deployment of troops over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, continued military aid to Ukraine, a deal on a gifted Qatari jet and more.
Read on...
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:11
,
Oliver O'Connell
LA Mayor Karen Bass says she plans to speak on the phone with President Trump, BUT the phone call is not booked yet and in discussion with the White House.
— Libbey Dean (@LibbeyDean_) June 11, 2025
LA Mayor: I don't know when the raids will end
Wednesday 11 June 2025 21:10
,
Oliver O'Connell
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the raids in Southern California a provocation by the White House and said she does not know when they will end.
“We're going by the rumors,” said Bass, adding she heard the Trump administration planned ICE operations for over 30 days in the city.
“Maybe we are part of a national experiment about how far to determine the federal government can go in reaching in and taking over power from a governor, power from a local jurisdiction,” Bass said on Wednesday at a press conference.
Worryingly, Bass also said that there is no direct line of communication between the LAPD and the National Guard.
She explained that there wouldn't be a need for direction communication if it wasn't for President Donald Trump's “provocation.”
She was joined by mayors from across the region, several of whom said they were immigrants.
They said immigrants are vital for the economy, including harvesting food for the country.
“We are not criminals. We are hard working people. We came to the United States to work, to better our families,” said South Gate Mayor Maria Davila.
Many of the city leaders said raids have been happening outside Home Depots, churches and other businesses. A woman who was nine months pregnant and a man dropping off his granddaughter were among those detained, they said.
ICE using tracking app to identify people who can easily be deported
Wednesday 11 June 2025 20:57
,
Oliver O'Connell
ICE agents are reportedly using a new mapping app to track down migrants living illegally in the U.S who can be easily deported to meet Donald Trump’s aggressive quotas.
The app, an early version of which was known as Alien Tracker or ATRAC, allows agents and officers to view areas around the country with higher concentrations of people under deportation orders, making them more vulnerable to detention.
Information about more than 700,000 individuals is recorded on the app and is available in a “baseball-card-style format,” according to documents obtained by The New York Times.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Newsom slams National Guard deployment for depleting fire response
Wednesday 11 June 2025 20:38
,
Oliver O'Connell
California Governor Gavin New