Los Angeles is burning with tension as protests over aggressive immigration raids turn violent, with National Guard and Marines now on the ground. Stay informed about the chaos gripping downtown LA, avoid protest zones, and learn what’s driving the unrest as clashes escalate.
LA Streets Turn Chaotic Amid Immigration Crackdown
Protests ignited across Los Angeles on Friday, June 6, 2025, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) swept through the city, arresting 44 people in raids targeting workplaces like a Fashion District clothing wholesaler and a Paramount Home Depot. Demonstrators, enraged by what they call “terror tactics,” flooded downtown streets, chanting for detainee releases and waving Mexican flags. By Sunday, the situation spiraled: protesters torched Waymo robotaxis, looted stores, and hurled rocks at police, who responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bang grenades.
President Trump, citing “lawlessness,” deployed 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to quell the riots, a move not seen since the 1992 Rodney King unrest. California Governor Gavin Newsom blasted the deployment as “inflammatory,” filing a lawsuit against Trump for federalizing the state’s Guard without consent. Mayor Karen Bass echoed the outrage, urging peaceful protest while condemning the raids for sowing fear in LA’s immigrant communities.
Why the Protests Are Intensifying
The raids, part of Trump’s vow to deport thousands daily, hit hard in LA’s Latino-heavy neighborhoods like Paramount, where 82% of residents are Hispanic. Locals like Maria Salazar, a community organizer, say families are terrified, with some avoiding work or school. “They’re tearing us apart,” she said, describing a raid that detained day laborers. ICE claims the operations targeted “criminal migrants,” including alleged gang members and sex offenders, but critics argue the sweeps are indiscriminate, catching legal residents too.
Social media captures the raw emotion: videos show protesters dousing tear gas burns with milk, while others cheer from balconies as fires burn. The arrest of David Huerta, a union leader, for allegedly blocking ICE vehicles added fuel to the fire. “This isn’t justice,” Huerta said from a hospital bed before his transfer to a detention center.
What’s Happening Now
As of Tuesday, June 10, 2025, downtown LA remains a hotspot, with clashes near the Metropolitan Detention Center and Edward R. Roybal Federal Building. The LAPD declared downtown an unlawful assembly zone, arresting 53 people, including 31 for looting, arson, and assaulting officers. Protesters have blocked the 101 Freeway, and businesses like Adidas report smashed windows. Trump’s team, including Border Czar Tom Homan, vows to keep raids going, with threats of more troop deployments.
What’s Next for LA?
The unrest shows no signs of easing. Newsom’s lawsuit could escalate tensions, with Trump hinting at using the Insurrection Act a rare move last invoked in 1965. Meanwhile, protests are spreading to San Francisco and Austin, with 60 arrests reported in SF alone. LA, a city of 4 million with a vibrant immigrant heart, faces a tense future as both sides dig in.
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