By Olatunbosun Obafemi
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to escalating protests against immigration enforcement raids, a move California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned as “purposefully inflammatory.”
Tensions erupted in the suburb of Paramount on Saturday night as federal agents clashed with demonstrators protesting aggressive raids on undocumented immigrants. Flash-bang grenades and tear gas were deployed as protesters attempted to block law enforcement access to a staging area near a Home Depot, according to local news reports and videos shared on social media.
The unrest followed a series of workplace raids by masked and armed federal immigration agents across Los Angeles on Friday, which sparked outrage and prompted large-scale demonstrations. Protesters, some waving Mexican flags and others setting fire to a U.S. flag, blocked roads with cement blocks and shopping carts. A U.S. Marshals Service bus was swarmed by a crowd before authorities closed freeway ramps to prevent further escalation.
In a late-night statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the deployment aimed to restore order and support law enforcement. “The Trump Administration has a zero tolerance policy for criminal behavior and violence,” she said.
Governor Newsom rejected the deployment as unnecessary and provocative, asserting, “There is currently no unmet need.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged the public’s anxiety but warned that violence would not be tolerated.
Federal officials confirmed multiple arrests. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino declared, “You bring chaos, and we’ll bring handcuffs.”
The White House’s Stephen Miller went further, calling the protests “an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States.”
The city of Los Angeles, a hub of immigrant communities, now faces heightened tensions as immigration policy collides with public outcry and federal force.
