What to know about the Los Angeles immigration protests after citywide ICE operations
Hours after hundreds of National Guard troops ordered by President Trump deployed to Los Angeles on Sunday, they were met with protesters reacting to dozens of arrests in ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in and around the Southern California city.
A confrontation broke out as a group of demonstrators protested in front of the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown L.A. It followed a similar scene that occurred Saturday when a group of federal agents fired flash-bang grenades and tear gas canisters toward protesters outside the detention center
After clashes between immigration authorities and demonstrators in the cities of Paramount and neighboring Compton, where a car was set on fire, Mr. Trump Saturday ordering the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles County.
The move appeared to be the first time in decades that a state's national guard was activated without a request from its governor. California Gov. Gavin Newsom responded Sunday, calling for the administration to rescind the order and return control of the guard to the state.
Here's what to know about the unrest occurring in L.A.
How did the Los Angeles protests start?
ICE officers executed search warrants at multiple locations Friday, including outside a clothing warehouse in the Fashion District. The action came after a judge found probable cause that the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S. Attorney's Office.
A tense scene unfolded outside as a crowd tried to block agents from driving away.
Protests also centered Friday around a federal building in downtown L.A. after word spread among demonstrators that detainees were allegedly being held in the basement of that building.
Advocates for immigrants' rights said there were also migration detentions outside Home Depot and Dale's Donuts stores.
On Saturday, protests erupted in the L.A. County city of Paramount after it appeared that federal law enforcement officers were conducting another immigration operation there.
Protests in Paramount continued into the evening, with several hundred demonstrators gathered near a doughnut shop, and authorities holding up barbed wire to keep the crowd back. They also gathered again outside federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles, including a detention center, where local police declared an unlawful assembly and began to arrest people.
L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said non-lethal munitions were fired by federal agents before deputies arrived at the scene.
"We will protect your right to peacefully protest, but we will not tolerate violence or destruction of property," Luna said in televised that appeared on local news. "I urge the community to approach the situation peacefully, as we do not want anyone to be harmed."
CBS Los Angeles footage showed some protesters attempting to get in the way of a U.S. Marshals Service bus, while others threw rocks and other objects at law enforcement vehicles. The protests also spread to the nearby city of Compton.
Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons told multiple news outlets that community members showed up in response because people are fearful of activity by immigration agents.
"When you handle things the way that this appears to be handled, it's not a surprise that chaos would follow," Lemons said.
Some demonstrators jeered at officers while recording the events on smartphones.
"ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are," a woman said through a megaphone. "You are not welcome here."
More than a dozen people were arrested and accused of impeding immigration agents, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli posted on X, including the names and mug shots of some of those arrested. He didn't say where they were protesting.
Who was detained?
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that the ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrests of 118 immigrants this week, including 44 people in Friday's operations. Those arrests included five people linked to criminal organizations and people with prior criminal histories, DHS said.
Following the Friday arrests, protesters gathered in the evening outside a federal detention center, chanting, "Set them free, let them stay!" Some held signs with anti-ICE slogans, and some scrawled graffiti on the building.
As of Saturday night, eight American citizens have been arrested in Paramount, ICE said in a statement. The agency said two juveniles will be released while others will face federal obstruction charges.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" Sunday that the administration won't allow a "repeat of 2020" to occur.
"The president knows that [Newsom] makes bad decisions, and that's why the President chose the safety of this community over waiting for Gov. Newsom to get some sanity," Noem added. "And that's one of the reasons why these National Guard soldiers are being federalized so they can use their special skill set to keep peace."
In addition to DHS, ICE officers in L.A. are also receiving help from Customs and Border Protection, the Federal Protective Service and now, the National Guard.
Among those arrested at the protests was David Huerta, regional president of the Service Employees International Union. Justice Department spokesperson Ciaran McEvoy confirmed that he was being held Saturday at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles ahead of a scheduled Monday court appearance.
It was not clear whether Huerta had legal representation.
California Rep. Nanette Barragán told CBS News on Sunday that ICE enforcement and removal operations are expected, daily, for the next 30 days in L.A. County.
What has Trump said about the L.A. protests, and why is he deploying the National Guard?
Mr. Trump signed a memo Saturday night using Title 10 Authority to order the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard troops to L.A. County "for 60 days or at the discretion of the Secretary of Defense." He also said in a late-night post shared to his Truth Social platform that demonstrators would no longer be allowed to wear masks at future protests.
"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!!!" the president wrote in an earlier post to Truth Social platform Saturday evening.
A Defense Department official told CBS News that the vast majority of the 2,000 soldiers are from the California National Guard.
"In addition, the Secretary of Defense may employ any other members of the regular Armed Forces as necessary to augment and support the protection of Federal functions and property in any number determined appropriate in his discretion," the memo read.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a social media post was being mobilized "IMMEDIATELY to support federal law enforcement in Los Angeles." Hegseth added that if the violence continues, he would also mobilize "active duty Marines" from Camp Pendleton in San Diego County. He said the Marines were already on "high alert."
When asked what is the threshold for sending in the Marines, Mr. Trump said Sunday: "The bar is what I think it is."
"I mean, if we see danger to our country and to our citizens, we'll be very, very strong in terms of law and order. It's about law and order," Mr. Trump said before boarding Air Force One in New Jersey. "We're going to see what we need. We'll send whatever we need to make sure that it's law and order."
ICE officials in L.A. are also receiving help from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Federal Protective Service. Trump administration border czar Tom Homan said in an interview on Fox News earlier Saturday that "We're going to continue doing our job. We're going to push back on these people, and we're going to enforce the law."
The president Title 10 authority to order the deployment of troops to the southern border to enact his immigration crackdown after taking office in January. The use of is a waiver of the Posse Comitatus Act, which is a U.S. federal law that restricts the use of the U.S. military for law enforcement within the U.S., except in cases explicitly authorized by the Constitution or an Act of Congress.
A U.S. Northern Command spokesperson confirmed to CBS News on Sunday that elements of the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team from the California National Guard began deploying to the Los Angeles area on Sunday, with some already on the ground.
Around 300 National Guard troops were deployed to three separate locations in the greater Los Angeles area to conduct "safety and protection of federal property & personnel," the U.S. Northern Command said.
"We're gonna have troops everywhere. We're not gonna let this happen to our country," Mr. Trump said Sunday. "We're not gonna let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden and his autopen."
When asked about the soldiers' role in L.A. on Sunday, defense officials told CBS News to refer to Mr. Trump's memo that says the National Guard's mission is to protect federal property and personnel — not acting as law enforcement but as support for the Department of Homeland Security.
How have local officials responded to the L.A. protests?
Gov. Newsom on Sunday formally called on Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to rescind the order to federalize the National Guard, writing that their deployment to Los Angeles "without appropriate training or orders, risks seriously escalating the situation."
"There is currently no need for the National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles, and to do so in this unlawful manner and for such a lengthy period is a serious breach of state sovereignty that seems intentionally designed to inflame the situation, while simultaneously depriving the State from deploying these personnel and resources where they are truly required," Newsom wrote.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said in response, "President Trump rightfully stepped in to restore law and order," adding that it was a "bald-faced lie for Newsom to claim there was no problem in Los Angeles before President Trump got involved."
Newsom later Sunday night wrote on social media, "President Trump is escalating the situation by threatening to deploy roughly 500 active-duty Marines to the streets of Los Angeles. Los Angeles: Remain peaceful. Don't fall into the trap that extremists are hoping for."
A spokesperson for Newsom earlier told CBS News Saturday night that Newsom called Mr. Trump and the two spoke for about 40 minutes.
"I did call him the other night," Mr. Trump said. "I said, look, you got to take care of this, otherwise I'm sending in the troops. That's what we did."
Prior to that phone call, Newsom on social media that the "federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers. That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions."
Newsom said the deployment is "the wrong mission and will erode public trust."
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said that city officials had "been in direct contact with officials in Washington, D.C., and are working closely with law enforcement to find the best path forward."
Both Newsom and Bass have accused the White House of politicizing the situation, saying they have enough local law enforcement to handle the protests. In an interview with CBS Los Angeles, Mayor Bass said "I don't want the situation to be conflated, to appear as though everything is going awry in our city, that is just not the case."
Later Sunday night, Bass said in a statement, "What we're seeing in our city is chaos provoked by the Trump Administration. When you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you cause fear and panic. And deployment of federalized troops on the heels of raids is a chaotic escalation."
"Angelenos have the right to make their voices heard through peaceful protest but don't fall into the Administration's trap. Violence is unacceptable. No one should be put in danger — not law enforcement, not protestors. I urge everyone to be peaceful," Bass continued. "The fear people are feeling in our city right now is very real — it's felt in our communities and within our families. It is clear that the Administration is pushing an agenda — there is clearly no plan other than chaos. We will rise above it."
California Rep. Maxine Waters on Sunday strongly rebuked the president's decision to deploy the National Guard, calling the situation "outrageous" and "horrible" and adding that she believes Mr. Trump is using L.A., a sanctuary city, as an example.
"He's using deportation as a way to enhance his position with all those right-wingers out there who do not want this country to be a country of people coming from other places," the Democrat told a reporter outside the Metropolitan Detention Center. "I think he's up to creating martial law."
Mr. Trump and other administration officials said over the weekend that local officials will face charges if they stand in the way of deportations.
In response to threats of arrest from Homan, Newsom told MSNBC "He knows where to find me."
"Lay your hands off four-year-old girls that are trying to get educated. Lay your hands off these poor people who are just trying to live their lives. Trying to live their lives, paying their taxes, been here 10 years. The fear. The horror... Come after me. Arrest me. Let's just get it over with, tough guy," Newsom said.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris also condemned the Trump administration's actions in L.A. on Sunday, calling the deployment of the National Guard "a dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos."
"In addition to the recent ICE raids in Southern California and across our nation, it is part of the Trump Administration's cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division," said Harris, who also previously served as a senator and attorney general of California. "This Administration's actions are not about public safety — they're about stoking fear. Fear of a community demanding dignity and due process."
