In a sudden escalation, US President Donald Trump has deployed about two thousand National Guard soldiers in Los Angeles, California, although local authorities did not request any additional support, two days after widespread protests against the raids of immigration agencies led by the federal administration.
The demonstrators, who are dominated by youth and the children of the Latin community, carrying the Mexican flags and two phones against Trump’s policies, which they described as “racism”, while the police violently confronted the protesters at some points, which led to the arrest of dozens.
The protests erupted after a series of intense raid campaigns carried out by federal immigration enforcement forces (ICE) in the Latin -density Los Angeles neighborhoods, as they targeted unregistered families and workers. Human rights organizations say the campaign included violations, such as inspection of homes without judicial orders and arbitrary arrests.
In a move that sparked political and legal controversy, Trump announced on Sunday evening, June 8, the deployment of the National Guard forces, saying in a tweet, “We cannot allow chaos in the streets of America. California refuses to cooperate, so I will do what is necessary to protect our borders.”
But the governor of California, Gavin Newsum, replied that “this is an illegal and provocative step,” stressing that the state did not ask military support, and that the local police are able to manage the situation.
On June 9, the protests continued despite the spread of federal forces, as groups of demonstrators closed major roads and raised banners saying “No to deport families”, and calls for social media to boycott the work.
The roots of tension are due to Trump’s strict policies towards immigration since his first term, which includes building the border wall and expanding the powers of “ICE”.
With the approaching presidential elections 2025, observers saw that Trump revived this issue to stimulate his supportive base.
On the other hand, calls between Democrats to reform the immigration system and cancel “ICE” escalate, while experts warn that military escalation may increase the situation.
Now, Los Angeles is awaiting what will happen at night, while the city turns into a new square of political conflict over American identity.
