National Guard members arrive in LA in response to violent anti-ICE protests

US Northern Command confirmed on X that Guard units had begun deploying, with some troops already on the ground. According to the Associated Press, the initial presence was focused on a small section of downtown Los Angeles, while the rest of the city remained largely unaffected. Guard members were seen staging at the Metropolitan Detention Center, where repeated confrontations with demonstrators have taken place.

The deployment followed a Saturday night post on Truth Social from President Trump, in which he criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for their handling of the situation. Trump declared that “radical left protests” would not be tolerated and warned that “masks will not be allowed to be worn at protests.”

Governor Newsom responded with a post on X, criticizing the federal deployment: “The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles — not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle. Don’t give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully.”

Anti-ICE protests erupted this weekend after federal immigration agents made over 100 arrests across Los Angeles during the week. A particular confrontation occurred near a Home Depot in Paramount, where protesters blocked Border Patrol vehicles and reportedly threw rocks and chunks of cement. Demonstrators have also set fires, prompting agents to use tear gas and other crowd control measures.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on Sunday that the National Guard’s role is to “keep peace and allow people to be able to protest but also to keep law and order.”