National Guard soldiers fired tear gas at demonstrators gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in Los Angeles on Sunday, as tensions over mass immigration arrests escalated into open confrontation.
Riot police and troops deployed by order of President Donald Trump engaged with protesters opposing raids targeting undocumented migrants. At least 300 soldiers had taken positions across the city by evening. Trump authorised up to 2,000 troops to manage what he described as a breakdown in public order.
Protests erupted over what demonstrators call indiscriminate arrests and deportations. According to CNN, the situation near the detention centre escalated shortly after 1:30 p.m. local time when authorities used pepper spray or tear gas on crowds. Some protesters reportedly threw water bottles at officers.
The protests follow several days of unrest after raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers. Hundreds have been detained since late May. Local authorities have confirmed the presence of other federal agencies, including the FBI and Border Patrol.
Governor Gavin Newsom of California criticised the federal response, calling it a “needless provocation”. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed the concern, saying the presence of soldiers represented a “chaotic escalation”.
“There is no reason for troops to be on our streets,” she told The New York Times.
White House officials defended the move. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the deployment was necessary to protect law enforcement and ensure protests remain peaceful. Trump’s immigration adviser Tom Homan warned the violence could result in fatalities.
“If unrest continues, someone is going to die,” Homan told the BBC.
The situation intensified after reports that active-duty Marines from Camp Pendleton had received orders to prepare for possible deployment. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth had earlier suggested using additional military forces to stabilise the city.
Protests have drawn national and international attention. Demonstrators accuse the administration of using military force against civilians engaged in lawful dissent. Ron Gochez, an organiser with Union del Barrio, said the aim was to show federal agents “that the community will resist”.
“This is a day of resistance,” Gochez told reporters.
President Claudia Sheinbaum of Mexico condemned the arrests of 35 Mexican nationals in Los Angeles over the weekend. Speaking Sunday, she said her compatriots in the U.S. “are honest men and women, not criminals”.
A significant portion of California’s population has foreign roots. Pew Research Centre estimated that by 2022, roughly 1.8 million undocumented migrants lived in the state. Nearly a third of its working-age population is foreign-born, far above the national average.
Critics argue that the new ICE policy diverts personnel from other law enforcement areas. According to unnamed federal sources cited by NBC News, thousands of officers from agencies including the DEA, IRS, and FBI are being reassigned to enforce immigration arrests.
The White House policy, known internally as “Operation at Large”, aims to detain 3,000 undocumented people per day, according to an internal directive from White House official Stephen Miller.
Federal forces have not been deployed to Los Angeles at this scale since 1992, when National Guard troops were called in during the Rodney King riots. In that case, state authorities requested assistance. This time, the order came from the President, despite objections from state leaders.
Trump has not ruled out invoking the 1807 Insurrection Act, which allows the use of military forces for domestic law enforcement. Asked on Sunday whether the situation in Los Angeles constitutes an insurrection, Trump replied: “No, but there are violent people there. We’re not going to look the other way.”
HT