U.S. President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 National Guard troops into Los Angeles on Saturday to clamp down on violent migrant riots sparked by federal immigration raids.
The White House said the deployment was necessary to combat “rampant lawlessness” after two nights of street violence involving arson, assaults on law enforcement, and clashes around immigration enforcement sites.
Trump assumed federal command over California’s National Guard in a rare move to override Governor Gavin Newsom, who condemned the action as “purposefully inflammatory.”
The unrest began after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested over 100 illegal migrants, including known gang members, in a targeted crackdown in LA — a city with a large undocumented population. Rioters responded by torching vehicles, hurling projectiles at federal agents, and blocking roads with debris.
Videos circulating online showed a motorcyclist throwing rocks at DHS vehicles, fireworks exploding near riot police, and a U.S. flag set ablaze while protesters waved foreign banners.
“This isn’t peaceful protest — it’s mob rule,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. “The Trump administration will not tolerate attacks on federal officers or destruction of American cities.”
Despite pleas from local leaders like Mayor Karen Bass to keep protests non-violent, the situation spiraled into street-level anarchy in some neighborhoods.
Law enforcement, backed by federal agents and soon-to-arrive National Guard troops, have made multiple arrests. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said: “You bring chaos, we bring handcuffs. Law and order will be restored.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned that if the violence continues, active-duty U.S. Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton could be mobilized.
California’s Governor Newsom criticized the deployment, accusing Trump of exploiting the situation for political gain. “This isn’t about public safety — it’s about optics,” he said.
The federal government invoked Title 10 to authorize the Guard’s deployment, avoiding the need for Insurrection Act powers — for now.
Meanwhile, immigration enforcement continues. Homeland Security said ICE operations netted 118 arrests, including five gang affiliates, with more raids likely to follow.
Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller called the riots “an insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States.”
As tensions remain high, authorities are bracing for more unrest in the coming days.
