Chaos Erupts in Los Angeles as Trump Deploys National Guard Amid Immigration Protests

Tensions surged in Los Angeles on Sunday as thousands of protesters clashed with law enforcement following President Donald Trump’s unprecedented deployment of the National Guard to the city, sparking chaos on the streets, blockades on major freeways, and the destruction of self-driving vehicles.

Beginning early in the day, National Guard troops armed with long guns and riot shields were stationed outside federal facilities, including the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles. Protesters confronted the troops with chants of “shame” and “go home,” prompting a response from law enforcement, who deployed smoke canisters, tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades to disperse the crowds.

By afternoon, a significant group of demonstrators had moved to the 101 freeway, blocking traffic and causing the closure of southbound lanes. State patrol officers later cleared the area. Nearby, at least four Waymo self-driving vehicles were set on fire, emitting thick black smoke and intermittent explosions as the electric cars burned.

Law enforcement declared an unlawful assembly and issued orders to disperse, shutting down multiple blocks in downtown Los Angeles by evening. Police patrolled on horseback, while others in riot gear backed National Guard troops in securing federal properties, including detention sites used in recent immigration enforcement.

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, who was in Los Angeles meeting with local officials, condemned the deployment in a letter to Trump, calling it a “serious breach of state sovereignty.” The deployment marked the first time in decades that the National Guard had been activated in a state without the governor’s request, signaling a significant escalation in the federal government’s immigration enforcement efforts.

Mayor Karen Bass echoed Newsom’s criticism, stating in a press conference that “chaos” had been “provoked by the administration,” and asserting that the deployment was not about public safety but rather “another agenda.”

The White House, however, defended the move. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded, “It’s a bald-faced lie for Newsom to claim there was no problem in Los Angeles before President Trump got involved.”

The deployment followed two days of protest activity that began Friday in downtown Los Angeles and spread to surrounding cities including Paramount and Compton. Protesters had gathered in response to immigration raids conducted by federal agents in locations such as LA’s fashion district and Home Depot parking lots. More than 100 immigrants were arrested over the past week, with additional detentions occurring during the protests.

Saturday’s protests intensified outside a Department of Homeland Security office in Paramount, with demonstrators hurling rocks and concrete at Border Patrol vehicles. Agents in riot gear responded with tear gas, pepper balls, and flash-bang devices.

Among those arrested during the protests was a prominent union leader accused of obstructing law enforcement. Though the demonstrations have not reached the scale of past protests that drew National Guard intervention—such as the 1992 Rodney King riots or the 2020 George Floyd protests—this federal deployment was notable for proceeding without gubernatorial consent.

President Trump cited a legal provision allowing federal service members to be deployed during “a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States,” authorizing 2,000 National Guard members. Speaking before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, he said there were “violent people” in Los Angeles and declared, “We’re gonna have troops everywhere.”

Roughly 500 Marines at Twentynine Palms were placed on “prepared to deploy status” by Sunday afternoon, according to U.S. Northern Command.

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, a Los Angeles resident, denounced the arrests and deployment as part of a “cruel, calculated agenda to spread panic and division.” She voiced her support for those protesting to defend “our most fundamental rights and freedoms.”