A senior Los Angeles city official has confirmed to CBS, the BBC’s U.S. partner, that the National Guard is now stationed at federal facilities in downtown Los Angeles and Westwood.
“There are multiple protests scheduled across Los Angeles today,” the official said. “Both the city and the police department are closely monitoring these events.” So far, the Los Angeles Police Department has arrested 29 people—almost all on misdemeanor charges of failure to disperse. According to the official, city leaders “strongly support immigrant rights” but acknowledge that enforcing the law has become a “no-win situation” for local officers. Should federal authorities request assistance with public-safety operations, the LAPD stands ready to help.
Many Angelenos awoke this morning startled by the arrival of the National Guard. Although protests have occurred on several days this week in neighborhoods targeted by immigration enforcement, they have remained confined to small pockets of the sprawling county, which spans more than 4,000 square miles and is home to nearly 10 million residents. “Most of my friends were enjoying a quiet Saturday night, completely unaware that unrest was unfolding elsewhere in the city,” one resident said.
Friday and Saturday night’s demonstrations were limited to parts of downtown and the small south-county city of Paramount—an area where immigration raids took place. Paramount, where 82 percent of residents are Hispanic, has felt the brunt of this week’s enforcement actions. “I live nearby and could hear loud ‘booms’ as protest activity intensified,” the resident added.
The last time the Guard was deployed in significant numbers was in 2020, during the George Floyd protests—but that activation was requested by local authorities, not ordered directly by the president. Earlier this year, troops also assisted after the Los Angeles wildfires. However, officials stress that Guard members will “not engage in immigration-policy enforcement.”
On the campaign trail, President Trump vowed to crack down on what he called “left-wing lawlessness,” promising to deploy every tool at his disposal. Saturday’s demonstrations, which targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations—and were mostly peaceful, with only a few hundred participants in the more disruptive moments—gave the administration the opening it sought. Despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom, Trump federalized 2,000 California National Guard troops under his authority, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has put U.S. Marines on “high alert” for a potential deployment—a rare step for active-duty forces on American soil.
By Sunday morning, the president was declaring victory and thanking the Guard for “restoring peace,” even though the troops had not yet assembled. His rapid response—even while attending a UFC match in New Jersey—suggests both eagerness and preparation for this confrontation. The White House believes that a tough stance on law and order, coupled with aggressive immigration enforcement, resonates strongly with the president’s base and may attract independents concerned about safety.
On U.S. morning talk shows, reactions have been swift and sharply divided. Senator Bernie Sanders told CNN that Trump’s move toward unilateral action “pushes this country toward authoritarianism,” arguing that the president “acts as though he can do whatever he pleases.” Senator Cory Booker, speaking to NBC, warned that bypassing decades-old conventions “will only inflame tensions” and accused the administration of “sowing chaos and confusion” by targeting individuals lawfully attending immigration hearings. Conversely, Senator James Lankford told NBC that the president’s intent was to “de-escalate tensions,” noting that Los Angeles law-enforcement agencies were “overwhelmed” and needed support to prevent protests from spiraling out of control.
Why did the president send in the National Guard?
Under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, a president may federalize state National Guard units—placing them on active duty—when there is “a rebellion or danger of a rebellion” against federal authority. Citing disruptions to immigration-law enforcement, President Trump invoked this power to deploy 2,000 Guard members to Los Angeles. In an official White House statement, he said they would “temporarily protect ICE and other United States government personnel performing federal actions,” with a 60-day deployment period subject to the secretary of defense’s final approval.
“There are multiple protests scheduled across Los Angeles today,” the official said. “Both the city and the police department are closely monitoring these events.” So far, the Los Angeles Police Department has arrested 29 people—almost all on misdemeanor charges of failure to disperse. According to the official, city leaders “strongly support immigrant rights” but acknowledge that enforcing the law has become a “no-win situation” for local officers. Should federal authorities request assistance with public-safety operations, the LAPD stands ready to help.
Many Angelenos awoke this morning startled by the arrival of the National Guard. Although protests have occurred on several days this week in neighborhoods targeted by immigration enforcement, they have remained confined to small pockets of the sprawling county, which spans more than 4,000 square miles and is home to nearly 10 million residents. “Most of my friends were enjoying a quiet Saturday night, completely unaware that unrest was unfolding elsewhere in the city,” one resident said.
Friday and Saturday night’s demonstrations were limited to parts of downtown and the small south-county city of Paramount—an area where immigration raids took place. Paramount, where 82 percent of residents are Hispanic, has felt the brunt of this week’s enforcement actions. “I live nearby and could hear loud ‘booms’ as protest activity intensified,” the resident added.
The last time the Guard was deployed in significant numbers was in 2020, during the George Floyd protests—but that activation was requested by local authorities, not ordered directly by the president. Earlier this year, troops also assisted after the Los Angeles wildfires. However, officials stress that Guard members will “not engage in immigration-policy enforcement.”
On the campaign trail, President Trump vowed to crack down on what he called “left-wing lawlessness,” promising to deploy every tool at his disposal. Saturday’s demonstrations, which targeted Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations—and were mostly peaceful, with only a few hundred participants in the more disruptive moments—gave the administration the opening it sought. Despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom, Trump federalized 2,000 California National Guard troops under his authority, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has put U.S. Marines on “high alert” for a potential deployment—a rare step for active-duty forces on American soil.
By Sunday morning, the president was declaring victory and thanking the Guard for “restoring peace,” even though the troops had not yet assembled. His rapid response—even while attending a UFC match in New Jersey—suggests both eagerness and preparation for this confrontation. The White House believes that a tough stance on law and order, coupled with aggressive immigration enforcement, resonates strongly with the president’s base and may attract independents concerned about safety.
On U.S. morning talk shows, reactions have been swift and sharply divided. Senator Bernie Sanders told CNN that Trump’s move toward unilateral action “pushes this country toward authoritarianism,” arguing that the president “acts as though he can do whatever he pleases.” Senator Cory Booker, speaking to NBC, warned that bypassing decades-old conventions “will only inflame tensions” and accused the administration of “sowing chaos and confusion” by targeting individuals lawfully attending immigration hearings. Conversely, Senator James Lankford told NBC that the president’s intent was to “de-escalate tensions,” noting that Los Angeles law-enforcement agencies were “overwhelmed” and needed support to prevent protests from spiraling out of control.
Why did the president send in the National Guard?
Under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, a president may federalize state National Guard units—placing them on active duty—when there is “a rebellion or danger of a rebellion” against federal authority. Citing disruptions to immigration-law enforcement, President Trump invoked this power to deploy 2,000 Guard members to Los Angeles. In an official White House statement, he said they would “temporarily protect ICE and other United States government personnel performing federal actions,” with a 60-day deployment period subject to the secretary of defense’s final approval.
