The deployment comes after a second consecutive day of clashes in the Los Angeles area.Hundreds of demonstrators confronted federal agents, leading to a volatile situation in Paramount, a city with a large Latino population located south of Los Angeles.

On Saturday, confrontations flared near a Home Depot, close to a Department of Homeland Security office where federal agents where operating. agents deployed tear gas, flash-bang explosives, and pepper balls, while protesters responded by throwing rocks and pieces of concrete at Border Patrol vehicles. The streets were filled with smoke from burning debris.

The preceding day saw a series of immigration sweeps, including actions in LA’s fashion district and at another Home Depot location, contributing to the heightened tensions. The number of immigrant arrests throughout the week exceeded 100. A well-known union leader was also taken into custody during a protest, accused of obstructing law enforcement.

The White House stated that President Trump is deploying the Guard to “address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester.” The exact timing of the troop arrival remains unclear.

Governor Newsom criticized the decision on X, stating it was “purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.” He urged the public not to engage in violence, suggesting the federal government was seeking a spectacle.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signaled a tough stance from the administration, suggesting the potential deployment of the U.S. military.

“If violence continues, active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized – they are on high alert,” Mr. hegseth posted on X.

mr. Trump’s order followed clashes in Paramount and neighboring Compton, where a vehicle was set ablaze. Protests continued into the evening in Paramount, with hundreds gathering near a doughnut shop as authorities used barbed wire to control the crowd.

Demonstrations also occurred outside federal buildings in downtown Los Angeles, including a detention center, where local police declared an unlawful assembly and initiated arrests.

Paramount Standoff Details

Earlier events in Paramount involved immigration officers facing off against protesters near a business park entrance, situated behind a Home Depot. Demonstrators set off fireworks,dragged shopping carts into the street,broke cinder blocks,and threw objects at Border Patrol vans as they departed.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli stated that federal agents made additional arrests of individuals with deportation orders on Saturday, but clarified that no arrests occurred at the Home Depot itself. He noted that the Department of Homeland Security has a building nearby, which agents were using as a staging area for operations, according to Fox11 Los Angeles. Mr. Essayli did not provide specific numbers for Saturday’s arrests or their locations.

“When you handle things the way that this appears to be handled, it’s not a surprise that chaos would follow,” Ms. Lemons said.

Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons informed various news outlets that community members responded to the situation due to fears surrounding immigration agent activity.

Some protesters directed jeers at officers while recording the events on their smartphones.

“ICE out of Paramount. We see you for what you are,” a woman announced through a megaphone. “You are not welcome here.”

Mr. Essayli posted on X that over a dozen individuals were arrested for allegedly impeding immigration agents, including names and mug shots of some of those arrested.He did not specify the location of the protests.

National Guard Activation

Mr.Trump has federalized a portion of California’s National Guard under Title 10 authority, giving him command authority over the troops, according to Mr. Newsom’s office.

White House press secretary Karoline leavitt issued a statement asserting that the actions of immigration authorities, which were met with protests, are “essential to halting and reversing the invasion of illegal criminals into the United States. in the wake of this violence, California’s feckless Democrat leaders have completely abdicated their responsibility to protect their citizens.”

The president’s decision followed a threat on his social media, stating that if Mr. Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass did not “do their jobs,” then “the federal Government will step in and solve the problem,RIOTS & LOOTERS,the way it should be solved!!!”

Mr. Trump signed the order shortly before attending a UFC fight in New Jersey with boxer Mike Tyson.

Mr. Newsom stated that local authorities “are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice,” and “there is currently no unmet need.”

the California Highway Patrol reported that Mr.Newsom directed them to deploy additional officers to “maintain public safety.”

“Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable,” Ms. Bass stated early Sunday.

She mentioned speaking with members of the Trump administration and emphasized that she and Mr.Newsom were in control and that the National Guard deployment was unneeded.

In 2020, Mr.Trump requested governors to deploy their National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., in response to protests following the death of George Floyd. Many governors complied.

Mr. Trump also considered invoking the Insurrection Act at that time, a measure rarely used in modern American history. Though, then-Defense Secretary Mark Esper opposed the idea, arguing that the law should be reserved for the most critical situations.

George H.W. bush invoked the Insurrection Act in 1992 to address riots in Los Angeles after the acquittal of police officers involved in the Rodney King beating.

According to Ms. Leavitt and Mr. Newsom,Mr. Trump did not invoke the act during his first term, nor did he do so on Saturday.

Earlier Arrests in Los Angeles

The protests began a day earlier in los Angeles after federal authorities arrested 44 individuals for immigration law violations on Friday.

DHS reported that recent ICE operations in Los Angeles led to the arrest of 118 immigrants, including five with links to criminal organizations and others with prior criminal records.

David Huerta, regional president of the service Employees International union, was also arrested on Friday while protesting. The Justice Department confirmed his detention at the Metropolitan Detention center in Los Angeles, with a court appearance scheduled for Monday.

Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called for his immediate release, citing a “disturbing pattern of arresting and detaining American citizens for exercising their right to free speech.”