A man waves a Mexican flag as smoke rises from a burning car during a standoff by protesters and law enforcement, following multiple detentions by ICE in the Los Angeles County city of Paramount, Calif. June 7, 2025.
The Trump administration is deploying the California National Guard in response to protests in Los Angeles over immigration enforcement operations that have resulted in some clashes between demonstrators and authorities, the White House said in a statement.
President Donald Trump signed a memorandum "deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to address the lawlessness" in California as demonstrations opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations continue in the state, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement Saturday evening.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in a post on X that the Defense Department is "mobilizing the National Guard IMMEDIATELY to support federal law enforcement in Los Angeles. And, if violence continues, active duty Marines at Camp Pendleton will also be mobilized — they are on high alert."
Earlier Saturday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom said the federal government was moving to "take over the California National Guard," calling the move "purposefully inflammatory" and saying it will "only escalate tensions."
Newsom said local California authorities don't need the help. "LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice," he said in a post on X.
The protest Saturday was centered in the city of Paramount in Los Angeles County, following reports of an immigration raid occurring at that location. However, Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons later said during a news conference that agents were staging, not conducting a raid.
Those protests followed demonstrations Friday in the city limits of LA itself that came in the wake of immigration enforcement operations across the city. Federal agents raided multiple workplaces in the fashion district and other areas, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California.
The situation on Saturday took place on Alondra Boulevard, just east of the 710 Freeway, according to ABC Los Angeles station KABC. At one point, a car was set on fire in Compton, according to the station.
In a statement on social media, United States Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said several arrests had been made Saturday for alleged assaults on federal agents.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said authorities were seeking to identify people who threw rocks at law enforcement vehicles.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said federal law enforcement operations would proceed as planned in Los Angeles County this weekend.
The LA County Sheriff's Department said its personnel responded to Paramount Boulevard Saturday, where a large crowd was blocking the street.
Local, federal officials point fingers
In a statement Saturday, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons faulted local officials, including LA Mayor Karen Bass, and police for their response to the situation on Friday evening.
Lyons' statement went on to say: "Our brave officers were vastly outnumbered, as over 1,000 rioters surrounded and attacked a federal building. It took over two hours for the Los Angeles Police Department to respond, despite being called multiple times."
The LAPD issued a statement later on Saturday denying the ICE director's claims, saying its response was delayed, in part, because federal authorities had deployed chemical irritants into the crowd of protesters.
Bass has condemned the ICE operations in her city. "As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place. These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city," Bass said.
On Saturday, protests in the city of LA itself, remained peaceful and ended without incident, the LAPD said in a statement.
In a statement posted to social media later Saturday, Bass said many in the city are feeling fear following the immigration enforcement operations, but she also decried violence.
"Reports of unrest outside the city, including in Paramount, are deeply concerning. We’ve been in direct contact with officials in Washington, D.C., and are working closely with law enforcement to find the best path forward. Everyone has the right to peacefully protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable."
-ABC News' Luis Martinez, Michelle Stoddart, Luke Barr and Vanessa Navarrete contributed to this report.
Source: ABC News.
