National Guard Deployed in LA to Suppress Immigration Crackdown Protests on Trump’s Order

In Los Angeles, California, a clash has erupted between immigration authorities cracking down on undocumented immigrants and protestors opposing these actions. Tensions have particularly escalated as President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to suppress large-scale protests.

According to the Associated Press and CNN on the 8th (local time), authorities began deploying 300 National Guard members in three key areas of LA on this day.

Kristi Noem, Secretary of Homeland Security, appeared on CBS and said, "The National Guard deployed today is a force specifically trained for crowd control situations of this nature," adding, "They will ensure operational safety and guarantee the right to hold peaceful protests."

She said, "We will not allow a repeat of what happened in 2020," but did not elaborate on specific actions.

The 2020 events mentioned by Secretary Noem refer to the 'Black Lives Matter' protests that spread nationwide, sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African American, due to excessive police force in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

The current wave of protests began on the 6th when ICE and FBI agents raided the downtown garment wholesale market and The Home Depot stores, arresting and detaining 44 undocumented immigrants working in these areas.

Protests followed at ICE operation sites, near federal detention centers holding undocumented immigrants, and in areas like Paramount, home to many Hispanic residents, with crowds voicing opposition to the authorities’ actions.

Demonstrations continued on the 7th, and incidents turned violent with protestors kicking Border Patrol vehicles. Authorities responded forcefully, using tear gas and flash grenades to disperse the crowds.

Reports also indicated that the morning of the 8th saw physical confrontations between a small group of protestors and law enforcement in the southern Compton area of LA.

Dan Bongino, Deputy Director of the FBI, posted on X (formerly Twitter) that "immigration enforcement operations will continue, and anyone using violence to obstruct these actions will be investigated and prosecuted."

He added, "Multiple arrests have already been made in LA and New York," warning, "If you choose violence, it will not end well for you. Choose wisely."

On the social platform Truth Social, President Trump criticized Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California for not responding appropriately to the protests, declaring, "The Federal Government will intervene to solve the problem, specifically the riots and looters."

Subsequently, the White House announced that President Trump had signed an order deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to LA.

According to CNN, this is the first time in 33 years since the 1992 LA riots, sparked by racial discrimination issues, that a U.S. president has deployed the National Guard to quell protests under federal government orders.

It is also the first time in 60 years that a president has deployed the National Guard without a governor's request, since President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to Alabama in 1965 to protect civil rights protestors.

Governor Newsom criticized the Trump administration's National Guard deployment, calling it "a move designed to provoke protestors" and "not based on necessity, but to manufacture a crisis."

He continued, "He (President Trump) is hoping for chaos to justify more crackdowns and greater control," urging protestors to "remain calm, never resort to violence, and maintain peace."

Yonghyun Shin, Hankyung.com Reporter yonghyun@hankyung.com