Tensions Escalate in Los Angeles as ICE Raids Prompt Military Deployment

By Los Angeles Correspondent
June 15, 2025

Los Angeles, CA – The streets of downtown Los Angeles have become a flashpoint of civil unrest as protests against aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have led to the deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines, sparking a heated confrontation between federal authorities and local leaders. The situation, which began with targeted immigration sweeps last week, has escalated into a broader debate about federal overreach, civil liberties, and the militarization of urban centers (Witt, 2025).

The unrest was triggered by a series of ICE operations starting June 6, 2025, which advocates have described as “oppressive and vile paramilitary operations” (Al Jazeera, 2025). In early May, ICE reported arresting 239 undocumented migrants in a week-long operation across the Los Angeles area, a move that has fueled fear and anger in a city where over one-third of the population is foreign-born (BBC, 2025). Protests erupted on June 8, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement near federal buildings, leading to hundreds of arrests and a citywide curfew in parts of downtown Los Angeles (Associated Press, 2025a).

President Donald Trump responded by ordering 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles on June 7, followed by an additional 2,000 and 700 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines based in Twentynine Palms, California, over the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (Reuters, 2025a). The deployment, costing an estimated $134 million, was justified by Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as necessary to protect federal agents and property, including ICE officers conducting deportations (Hegseth, as cited in The Guardian, 2025). However, local officials argue the military presence has inflamed tensions, with Newsom accusing Trump of “pulling a military dragnet” across the city (Associated Press, 2025b).

The National Guard and Marines are limited to protecting federal buildings and personnel, lacking authority to conduct arrests or immigration enforcement unless Trump invokes the Insurrection Act (CNN, 2025a). Major General Scott Sherman, head of Task Force 51 overseeing the deployment, stated that troops can temporarily detain individuals until law enforcement arrives, a policy that has raised concerns among civil rights advocates (Reuters, 2025b). On June 11, law enforcement used tear gas, pepper balls, and non-lethal rounds to disperse crowds near the Metropolitan Detention Center, with some protesters blocking U.S. 101 and setting up barricades (The New York Times, 2025).

Governor Newsom has taken legal action, filing suits against Trump, Hegseth, and the Pentagon to block the deployment, arguing it violates the Tenth Amendment and exceeds presidential authority (CNN, 2025b). A federal judge’s ruling on June 12 declared the National Guard deployment illegal, but the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals temporarily blocked this order on June 13, allowing federal forces to remain (ABC7 Los Angeles, 2025). Newsom’s office also criticized the deployment’s logistics, noting that troops lack adequate food, water, or housing, with some reportedly sleeping on basement floors (Axios, 2025).

Local leaders, including Mayor Bass, have condemned the federal response as a “deliberate attempt” to create chaos, emphasizing that the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and mutual aid from nearby counties were sufficient to manage the protests (Associated Press, 2025b). Bass extended a nighttime curfew through at least June 15, citing ongoing tensions in a one-square-mile area of downtown (CNN, 2025b). Meanwhile, service members expressed unease, with some telling advocacy groups they feel like “pawns in a political game” (The Guardian, 2025).

The protests, while largely peaceful, have seen isolated violence, including cars set on fire and clashes with police, prompting Trump to compare the demonstrations to a “foreign invasion” (Al Jazeera, 2025). Public opinion is divided, with a Washington Post-Schar School survey showing Americans split evenly on Trump’s handling of the situation (CNN, 2025c). Demonstrations have spread to cities like New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, with “No Kings” protests planned nationwide on June 14 (CNN, 2025b).

As Los Angeles braces for another weekend of demonstrations, the presence of federal troops continues to cast a shadow over the city’s vibrant communities. The clash between federal and local authorities underscores a deepening divide over immigration policy and the role of military forces in civilian spaces, leaving Angelenos and the nation watching closely.

References
ABC7 Los Angeles. (2025, June 13). LA ICE raids: Judge’s ruling on National Guard temporarily blocked, ICE activity continues throughout SoCal. Retrieved from https://abc7.com
Al Jazeera. (2025, June 8). ICE launches ‘military-style’ raids in Los Angeles: What we know. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com
Associated Press. (2025a, June 13). What to know about the immigration protests in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Retrieved from https://apnews.com
Associated Press. (2025b, June 11). Los Angeles leaders impose curfew as protests against Trump’s immigration crackdown continue. Retrieved from https://apnews.com
Axios. (2025, June 11). Troops deployed to LA have nowhere to sleep and lack supplies: Newsom. Retrieved from https://www.axios.com
BBC. (2025, June 12). Everything we know about the protests in LA and other US cities. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com
CNN. (2025a, June 11). Perception vs. reality: The National Guard and the Marines aren’t actually allowed to conduct law enforcement. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com
CNN. (2025b, June 13). Live updates: Appeals court pauses ruling requiring Trump to return control of National Guard to California. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com
CNN. (2025c, June 12). June 11, 2025 – Anti-ICE protests in LA and across US. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com
The Guardian. (2025, June 13). Troops and marines deeply troubled by LA deployment: ‘Morale is not great’. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com
The New York Times. (2025, June 12). L.A. protests maps: How immigration raids and federal response unfolded. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com
Reuters. (2025a, June 11). Hundreds of US Marines arrived in the Los Angeles area under orders from President Donald Trump. Retrieved from https://t.co/y5JJGAf0VY
Reuters. (2025b, June 12). US military troops deployed to Los Angeles are allowed to temporarily detain individuals. Retrieved from https://t.co/HzHaMYpQ4C
The Guardian. (2025, June 11). Trump’s mobilization of troops in LA to cost Americans at least $134m, Hegseth says. Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com
Witt, E. (2025, June 12). Looking for the National Guard in Los Angeles. The New Yorker. Retrieved from https://www.newyorker.com