The Trump administration is going to deploy another 2,000 National Guard troops to assist in the response to protests against his immigration policies in Los Angeles.
They will join the 2,000 guardsmen already set to be stationed throughout L.A., as well as a contingent of up to 700 Marines mobilized by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
California Governor Gavin Newsom slammed the decision, calling it “reckless” and “pointless,” claiming that only a few hundred of the original Guard troops have been deployed.
“This isn’t about public safety,” Newsom said. “It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego.”
The deployments come on the heels of violent clashes on Sunday night, where demonstrators took to the streets against ICE raids targeting migrants. Cars were set on fire, looting was reported in downtown LA, and 42 people were arrested.
Earlier on Monday, Newsom sued the administration over the original deployment of the Guard, which he believes has inflamed the situation, claiming it was illegal because he did not request the assistance.
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Key Points
- Full Marine battalion mobilized to respond to LA protests, report says
- Trump deployment leaves National Guard sleeping on floor
- Newsom sues Donald Trump for ‘illegally’ deploying National Guard to California ICE protests
- L.A. Mayor Karen Bass says Trump wants to use protests as 'test case' for power grab
- Trump calls Newsom 'grossly incompetent', would support Homan arresting him
- 2,000 more Guard troops heading to L.A., as Newsom slams 'reckless' White House
- Timeline: How L.A. protests grew into showdown with federal troops
Gavin Newsom fears Trump wants to 'operationalize' National Guard to carry out immigration raids
04:40
,
Josh Marcus
High-profile immigration raids triggered the protests that have consumed Los Angeles in recent days, and the situation could get exponentially more tense going forward as Trump may seek to “operationalize” National Guard troops to carry out more such operations, according to California’s governor.
“We’re getting word that he’s looking to operationalize that relationship and advance significantly larger ICE operations, in partnership, in collaboration, with the National Guard,” California Governor Gavin Newsom told Pod Save America on Monday. “We’re on the other side now of the red line.”
Four thousand federalized California National Guard troops are being deployed across Los Angeles, over the objections of local officials.
Waymo limits rides outside of Los Angeles after self-driving taxis become targets
04:25
,
Josh Marcus
Protesters burned and vandalized five Waymo self-driving taxis on Sunday as part of the protests in Los Angeles, and now the tech company is moving to limit car service in San Francisco in areas expecting similar demonstrations, The New York Times reports.
“We’re aware of potential protests and will not be providing service in the areas protesters may be gathering out of abundance of caution,” a company spokeswoman told the paper.
What kind of weapons are policing using in L.A. protests?
04:09
,
Josh Marcus
Local police have been using “less lethal” weaponry on protesters in Los Angeles.
CNN reported on Monday night that the LA police were using FN303s, a gun that uses compressed air to fire projectiles, as well as deploying golfball-sized rubber bullets on protesters. Authorities have also used CS gas, which is a tear gas, and flash bangs for crowd control.
Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi was seen on camera screaming and grabbing her leg after getting hit by a rubber bullet while covering the LA protests on Sunday.
“Thousands of protesters and bystanders have been maimed and dozens killed by the often reckless and disproportionate use of less lethal law enforcement weaponry," Amnesty International said in 2023 after studying the use of such weapons.
During the protests that erupted over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis in 2020, local police used rubber bullets and tear gas on demonstrators.
Soren Stevenson, a protester who put up his hands as police approached him, lost his left eye after getting hit with a plastic-tipped rubber bullet, despite the department banning their use against nonviolent people, according to KFF Health News.
Police use crowd control weapons to clear out protesters
03:51
,
Josh Marcus
As night falls over Los Angeles, larger protests crowds have thinned, and thick lines of heavily armed police are pushing smaller groups of protesters away from sensitive areas like federal buildings downtown.
A CNN camera feed captured one of group of officers firing crowd-control rounds into an assembled group of demonstrators who were yelling in their faces.
Individuals within the group had reportedly set off fireworks at the advancing police.
WATCH: Texas protests erupt in solidarity with LA anti-ICE demonstrators
03:50
,
Josh Marcus
Immigration operations — and protests — expand outside of Los Angeles
03:38
,
Josh Marcus
Immigration operations have reportedly expanded beyond the immediate Los Angeles area and into nearby Santa Ana, in Orange County, prompting protests.
“Border Patrol and ICE indiscriminately raided and violently detained many of our neighbors in Santa Ana and other cities,” Santa Ana Police Oversight Commissioner Carlos Perea said in a statement on Monday, sharing a video appearing to show an agent in a bulletproof vest chasing a man then tossing him to the ground.
“There are reports of arrests of individuals doing nothing but standing outside and being profiled,” Congressman Lou Correa, who represents parts of the area, said in a separate statement. “It’s unacceptable, and shocking, that this is happening in my hometown of Santa Ana.”
Federal officials do not appear to have publicly acknowledged the operations.
Around 200 protesters gathered around a federal building in Santa Ana on Monday to protest, and federal agents were seen shooting crowd-control weapons into the crowd, and activists were photographed swarming a van leaving the building.
California governor claims ICE has set up checkpoints screening drivers
03:25
,
Josh Marcus
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have set up checkpoints to screen drivers around the Los Angeles area, California Governor Gavin Newsom claims.
“They’re doing check points, checking people’s IDs. We’ve never seen this kind of deployment,” Newsom told Meidas Touch.
“It’s mass panic out here in the nation largest county, in the national largest state,” he added. “Good hardworking people, decent people. These are not the criminals. These are not the thugs.”
If true, such operations would represent another dramatic escalation of the scope of immigration operations taking place across the city. Checkpoints manned by immigration agents are typically seen at the border itself, not in the interior of the country.
Trump border czar plays down Newsom threat and defends Marine deployment
03:12
,
Josh Marcus
White House border czar Tom Homan defended the administration’s controversial decisions to send U.S. Marines and members of California’s National Guard to assist with the response to the Los Angeles protests.
"I think President Trump did exactly the right thing,” Homan said, adding that Marines were necessary because “last night was pretty out of control...this is getting to be a significant public safety issue here.”
He also responded to public remarks from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who dared federal officials to arrest him, after previous comments from Homan about arresting officials who impeded immigration enforcement.
When asked if Newsom had broken any laws, Homan said, “Not at this time. Absolutely not."
WATCH LIVE: Unrest continues in LA as Trump deploys another 2000 National Guards
02:56
,
Josh Marcus
California lieutenant governor says Trump threw 'gasoline on a flame'
02:41
,
Josh Marcus
California Lieutenant Governor Eleni Kounalakis echoed sentiments from fellow Democrats and blamed much of the chaos in Los Angeles on Donald Trump.
"Donald Trump is the one who has absolutely created the escalation in this situation,” she told CNN, comparing the White House’s moves like sending in the National Guard to putting “gasoline on a flame."
She expressed particular concern over the Defense Department’s “unprecedented” decision to send Marines to protect federal assets amid the ongoing protests.
“They are the best trained fighting force that we have in the United States,” she said, adding, “This is not what they do...There is no need for the Marines to come in.”
L.A. mayor argues Trump strategy caused riots
02:21
,
Josh Marcus
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass put the blame squarely at Donald Trump’s feet for the widespread protests and occasional violent clashes that took place over the weekend across the city.
Bass said the administration left behind past promises to seek the worst of the worst in favor of provocative raids against average Angelenos.
“Nothing warranted these raids,” Bass said during a news conference Monday night. “We were told that raids would be to look for violent criminals, people who had warrants. I don’t know how you go from a drug dealer to a Home Depot, to people’s work places where they’re just trying to make a living.”
Here’s a timeline of how this weekend’s demonstrations and raids unfolded.
White House using L.A. as a 'test case' for other power-grabs, mayor says
02:06
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is accusing the White House of trying to use L.A. as a “test case” to see how far it can expand its powers over state and local governments.
“I don’t think our city should be used for an experiment,” Bass said during a Monday night press conference, accusing the administration of attempt to see “what happens when the federal government moves in and takes the authority.”
She said the city was peaceful until the federal government got involved.
“This was chaos that started in Washington, D.C,” she said.
The mayor also criticized immigration officials for aggressive raids across Los Angeles, arguing they left migrants in detention without access to legal counsel or contact with their families.
She described one family member of a detained man searching frantically around the city for her missing husband.
“She’s running around the area trying to find her husband, not knowing if he’s here, has been taken to another city, or has been deported out of the country,” Bass said.
The Democrat also slammed White House officials like Stephen Miller who have described the protests as a migrant invasion.
“This is a despicable description of our city,” she said, adding, “We are a city of immigrants and we always have embraced that.”
Newsom slams 'un-American' decision to send Marines over L.A. protests
01:50
,
Josh Marcus
California Governor Gavin Newsom, the most outspoken state official challenging the Trump administration’s response to the L.A. protests, is condemning the White House’s decision to send hundreds of Marines into the fray.
U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy. They are heroes.
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) June 9, 2025
They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President.
This is un-American. pic.twitter.com/v5Va7hbgBb
“U.S. Marines have served honorably across multiple wars in defense of democracy,” Newsom wrote on X on Monday evening. “They are heroes. They shouldn't be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial President. This is un-American.”
He has also sued over the administration’s separate decision to federalize California’s National Guard to respond to the demonstrations.
LAPD chief vows 'many more' arrests and raises concerns over Marine deployment
01:49
,
Josh Marcus
Los Angeles police are on “tactical alert,” meaning longer deployments and more focused operations to respond to protests, according to LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell, speaking at a press conference on Monday evening.
During the address, McDonnell also raised alarms over reports that the Trump administration is sending hundreds of Marines to aid in the protest response.
“We’re also aware of reports the president intends or has deployed U.S. Marines to Los Angeles,” he said, warning that sending the troops without direct coordination “creates logistical challenges and risks infusion during critical incidents.”
The chief also vowed “many more” arrests and warned, “There is no tolerance for criminal activity under guise of protest.”
Protesters and police trade projectiles in Los Angeles
01:42
,
Josh Marcus
After hours of relative calm throughout Monday, tensions are rising between police and protesters.
Demonstrators have begun throwing objects like water bottles at police around a federal complex near downtown Los Angeles, while officers have fired crowd-control munitions into the throng, KTLA reports.
Is the White House preparing to declare (another) invasion?
01:30
,
Josh Marcus
As we follow the unfolding nature of the Los Angeles protests, one element we are keeping track of is how the White House is describing the situation.
Illegal aliens invaded America.
— Stephen Miller (@StephenM) June 9, 2025
The government of California aided and abetted that invasion.
Violent mobs, incited by California leaders, attacked ICE officers to keep them from removing the invaders.
California officials refused to send the police to rescue the ice officers,…
Increasingly, top figures have called the protests an invasion or an insurrection, the type of emergency that would theoretically warrant invoking the Insurrection Act.
The law allows the president to utilize federal military troops or federalize National Guard troops in order to suppress uncontrollable protests or other civil disturbance situations.
Federal troops are already on the ground in the L.A., but invoking the rarely used 1807 law could authorize federal troops or National Guard units to enforce domestic policies like making arrests, a power normally barred under the Posse Comitatus Act. It would mark an extreme escalation in the Trump administration’s use of emergency powers to counter the protests.
How unusual is it for the National Guard to come to LA? Here's what to know about the city's history
The administration has already used similar “invasion” language about members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua in the U.S. to highly controversial results.
The White House declared the group a terror organization invading the country, then invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a wartime law allowing summary deportations.
It then sent hundreds of men to a notorious Salvadoran prison before they could challenge their removals, and their families now say they’re being held there incommunicado.
ICYMI: How the Mexican flag became the symbol of the LA protests
01:17
,
Josh Marcus
When protesters took to the streets of Los Angeles to oppose the policies of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials, many did so with a Mexican flag in their hands.
Demonstrations erupted after Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials said they had arrested 118 immigrants during operations in Los Angeles. Ever since, demonstrators have taken to the streets in Los Angeles, Compton and Paramount to protest the raids.
Millions of residents in Los Angeles have Mexican ancestry. The city is also home to upwards of 900,000 undocumented people. As a result, residents there have felt compelled to challenge policies that they believe are harming their community.
On Sunday morning, Elizabeth Torres, 36, stood outside a detention center in downtown Los Angeles and protested Trump’s actions. She, too, had the green, white and red flag with her.
Michelle Del Rey has the story.
'None of this needed to happen': LA mayor slams feds over protest
01:15
,
Josh Marcus
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is blaming federal officials for chaotic protests in the city over the weekend, arguing an aggressive strategy of immigration raids was likely to trigger mass anger.
“None of this needed to happen,” she told ABC7 on Monday. “Why did we need to have raids? It was very clear that if raids happened there, the community was going to respond in a very negative way. I tried to make that case. Unfortunately I didn’t succeed.”
The mayor also condemned the subsequent decision to send National Guard troops and Marines to shore up local police.
“This is not citywide unrest like has happened in our city before,” she said, a reference to the 1992 Rodney King riots, when officials called soldiers and Marines to assist local police in restoring order.
2,000 more Guard troops heading to L.A., as Newsom slams 'reckless' White House
01:10
,
Josh Marcus
More National Guard troops are heading to L.A., according to California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Here’s what he wrote on X about the situation:
I was just informed Trump is deploying another 2,000 Guard troops to L.A. The first 2,000? Given no food or water. Only approx. 300 are deployed — the rest are sitting, unused, in federal buildings without orders. This isn’t about public safety. It’s about stroking a dangerous President’s ego. This is Reckless. Pointless. And Disrespectful to our troops.
READ the full lawsuit California just filed against the Trump administration over National Guard troops
Tuesday 10 June 2025 00:55
,
Josh Marcus
California is suing the Trump administration over its decision to federalize state National Guard troops as part of the response to the L.A. protests.
The suit, filed in California federal court on Monday, hammered the administration for “another unprecedented power grab, this time at the cost of the sovereignty of the State of California and in disregard of the authority and role of the Governor as commander-in-chief of the State’s National Guard. “
Read the full suit here.
More details on the state-versus-federal standoff.
White House claims LAPD can't arrest protesters
Tuesday 10 June 2025 00:35
,
Josh Marcus
White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller has spent much of the day fuming on X, claiming protesters in Los Angeles are “insurrectionists” and Los Angeles police haven’t been allowed to arrest them.
“They are just corralling them from one location to another,” Miller wrote.
In fact, between Saturday and today, the LAPD has arrested at least 50 people.
Did LAPD really not help ICE agents?
Tuesday 10 June 2025 00:20
,
Josh Marcus
Stephen Miller, deputy White House chief of staff, claimed on Monday that California officials told police not to assist ICE agents as they were assailed by protesters this weekend.
“Violent mobs, incited by California leaders, attacked ICE officers to keep them from removing the invaders,” Miller wrote on X. “California officials refused to send the police to rescue the ice officers, hoping the rioters would succeed in shutting down ICE raids. This is an organized insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States.”
LAPD chief Jim McDonell denied this claim, saying that federal officials failed to notifying local police about their plans, leading to a delay as officers rushed to mass a sufficient force to aid their federal counterparts.
"When we heard that, I think anybody who's a police officer couldn't believe it, and certainly anyone with LAPD couldn't imagine how that could happen," McDonnell told reporters on Sunday, after similar claims that the force waited hours to respond. "Well, it didn't happen."
He said it took about 38 minutes for LAPD officers to deploy on Friday.
LAPD chief expresses concern over deployment of Marines
Tuesday 10 June 2025 00:05
,
Josh Marcus
The head of the Los Angeles Police Department is expressing concerns over the Trump administration’s decision to send hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles to assist in response to the protests there.
“The LAPD has not received any formal notification that the Marines will be arriving in Los Angeles” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said in a statement on X on Monday afternoon. “However, the possible arrival of federal military forces in Los Angeles—absent clear coordination—presents a significant logistical and operational challenge for those of us charged with safeguarding this city.”
The chief touted his department’s “decades of experience managing large-scale public demonstrations,” and said the LAPD remains “confident in our ability to do so professional and effectively.”
The police chief urged “open and continuous lines of communication” and called on all parties to “avoid escalation.”
Police tell protesters outside of Metropolitan Detention Center to disperse
Monday 9 June 2025 23:48
,
Josh Marcus
Police have told a large crowd to disperse amid an ongoing demonstration around the Metropolitan Detention Center, a federal prison near downtown Los Angeles that has been a hub of the protest so far.
The warning went out around 3:10pm Pacific time, CNN reports.
About a half hour later, aerial news footage showed large crowds remaining outside the facility.
Can the National Guard use force on L.A. protesters?
Monday 9 June 2025 23:36
Up to nearly 3,000 troops are set to deploy across the Los Angeles area in the coming days in response to protests that broke out after a series of immigration raids throughout the city over the weekend.
The force includes a combination of some 2,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines.
Officials told ABC News both contingents will operate under the same rules of force and will not engage crowds, instead protecting federal buildings and officers.
They will not patrol streets or try to detain people to assist police either, the officials said, nor will they use rubber bullets or pepper spray.
The troops are armed, but will not have ammunition loaded in the chamber of their weapons.
These parameters could change if the president invokes the Insurrection Act.
How unusual is it for the National Guard to come to LA? Here's what to know about the city's history
Timeline: How L.A. protests grew into showdown with federal troops
Monday 9 June 2025 23:07
,
Josh Marcus
Los Angeles remains on high alert, after a series of immigration raids triggered mass protests and rioting, and a similarly massive police and law enforcement response.
Protests and rallies are set to continue through Monday. The Trump administration has deployed 700 Marines to join the 2,000 National Guard troops who have been authorized to join the response.
Here is a timeline of the fiery protests and a preview of what may come next.
Union leader David Huerta released on $50K bond after protest arrest
Monday 9 June 2025 23:05
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Josh Marcus
Supporters and family members cheered on Monday afternoon as union leader David Huerta was released from detention, after being arrested on Friday for allegedly impeding an officer during a demonstration.
UPDATE: David Huerta had been released from custody. pic.twitter.com/FcBAXGe9ys
— SEIU California (@seiucalifornia) June 9, 2025
Huerta, president of the state’s influential SIEU labor union, was released on a $50,000 bond as he awaits prosecution.
Profile: Gavin Newsom
Monday 9 June 2025 22:50
,
Rachel Clun
California’s governor Gavin Newsom has found himself in another war of words with president Donald Trump, after protests in LA turned violent.
The Democrat has dared the Trump administration to arrest him after he opposed the president’s decision to deploy the National Guard to deal with the chaos.
But Newsom’s fight with Trump over his “deranged” decision is just the latest skirmish in a longstanding rivalry with the president.
Here’s what to know about Newsom’s career to date.
California labor leader charged with impeding officer during immigration crackdown
Monday 9 June 2025 22:30
,
AP
A California union leader has been charged with conspiring to impede an officer during a demonstration over President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, authorities said Monday.
David Huerta, 58, is being held in federal custody in downtown Los Angeles and is expected to attend a bond hearing later Monday, federal prosecutors said.
Huerta is president of Service Employees International Union California, which represents thousands of janitors, security officers and other workers in the state.
The SEIU held a large rally in downtown Los Angeles Monday in support of Huerta and to stand up for his right to observe and document law enforcement activity. Union leaders from across the state led the crowd in chants of “Free Huerta now!”
Demonstrations were also planned in at least a dozen cities, from Boston to Denver.
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