Los Angeles saw a third consecutive day of unrest on Sunday as demonstrators clashed with law enforcement over a series of controversial immigration raids. The protests intensified following President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops to the city—an unprecedented federal move that has drawn sharp criticism from California officials.
Demonstrators, incensed by immigration enforcement actions that have led to dozens of arrests, torched vehicles and blocked traffic on major freeways. At least three Waymo self-driving cars were set ablaze, and two others were vandalized in downtown Los Angeles. The protests erupted in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting undocumented migrants and suspected gang members—raids that were conducted in daylight and in areas with large Latino populations.
The federal deployment of California’s National Guard—typically under the command of Governor Gavin Newsom—was ordered directly by President Trump. Newsom decried the move as a violation of state sovereignty.
“We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” Newsom posted on X (formerly Twitter). “This is a serious breach of state sovereignty—inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California.”
Law enforcement struggled to control the demonstrations, which briefly shut down a major freeway as protesters faced off with the California Highway Patrol, who used flash-bangs and smoke grenades to disperse crowds. While there was a brief confrontation at a federal detention center between protesters and Homeland Security agents, the bulk of the clashes involved local police forces.
By Sunday afternoon, Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers had cordoned off areas around key federal buildings, preventing demonstrators from reaching the National Guard units stationed nearby. Troops from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, outfitted in camouflage and helmets, stood watch behind containment lines.
President Trump defended the deployment, indicating a broader federal response could follow. “You have violent people, and we are not going to let them get away with it,” he told reporters. “I think you’re going to see some very strong law and order… We’re looking at troops everywhere. We’re not going to let this happen to our country.”
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s stance, warning that active-duty troops could be mobilized if unrest continues. Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton have reportedly been placed on high alert. U.S. Northern Command confirmed that approximately 500 Marines are on standby to support federal operations if needed.
Though the National Guard has been deployed during past episodes of civil unrest, it is almost always done in coordination with state governors. Trump’s unilateral decision marks the first such federal action since the 1965 civil rights march in Alabama, according to the Brennan Center for Justice.
Critics, including former Vice President Kamala Harris, condemned the move as an unnecessary escalation. “A dangerous escalation meant to provoke chaos,” Harris said in a statement.
Republican leaders, however, backed the president. “I have no concern about that at all,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson, accusing Governor Newsom of “an inability or unwillingness to do what is necessary.”
Protesters on the ground said the military presence only served to intimidate peaceful demonstrators.
“I think it’s an intimidation tactic,” said Thomas Henning, a local resident. “These protests have been peaceful… yet you have the National Guard with loaded magazines and large guns standing around trying to intimidate Americans from exercising our First Amendment rights.”
Estrella Corral, another protester, voiced concern over the treatment of undocumented immigrants. “This is our community, and we want to feel safe. Trump deploying the National Guard is ridiculous. I think he’s escalating—he’s trying to make a show for his agenda.”
Although ICE operations have sparked minor protests in other U.S. cities, the unrest in Los Angeles is the most significant backlash to date against the administration’s immigration enforcement policies.
A CBS News poll conducted before the protests began showed that a slight majority of Americans still support the crackdown on illegal immigration.
While the demonstrations have yet to reach the scale of historic events like the 1965 Watts riots, the 1992 Rodney King unrest, or the 2020 George Floyd protests—each of which also saw National Guard deployments—critics say the latest federal action risks inflaming an already volatile situation.
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