President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy National Guard troops in Los Angeles following protests against immigration raids has ignited a fierce backlash in the city. The move, described as a dramatic escalation of his administration’s promise of mass deportations, saw soldiers arrive late on Saturday night after days of escalating tensions.
The raids themselves were met with outrage. Federal agents conducted arrests without judicial warrants, according to the American Civil Liberties Union, with advocates reporting that more than 200 people were taken. In the Los Angeles garment district, Westlake and South Los Angeles, masked officers ripped workers from their jobs, while riot gear-clad agents used tear gas and flash-bang grenades against demonstrators.
Among those arrested was union leader David Huerta, president of SEIU-USWW and SEIU California, whose forceful detention sparked anger among millions of union workers. Images of the middle-aged man in a plaid shirt being shoved to the ground drew widespread condemnation.
The administration’s response has been to escalate further. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested the possibility of sending in Marines, a proposal Governor Gavin Newsom called “deranged”. Vice-President JD Vance appeared to frame the operation as a political lesson against the Democratic city and state, referring to protesters as “insurrectionists”. White House border czar Tom Homan confirmed the strategy to “flood the zone” in sanctuary cities that refuse to cooperate with immigration enforcement.
The fury has been fuelled by the brutality of the arrests. Lawyers from the Immigrant Defenders Law Center reported that families are being held in basements, separated from fathers, and denied access to attorneys. Congresswoman Maxine Waters, denied entry to a federal immigration office, called for protests to “grow and grow” until the deployment is reversed. Similar raids have occurred in Newark, Chicago, Nashville and San Diego, where neighbours chanted “Shame!” at officers in military gear.
“These are workers, fathers, mothers,” said Angelica Salas of the advocacy group Chirla. “Our community is under attack and is being terrorised.” As the administration tests Los Angeles’s resolve, the city’s response suggests a roaring backlash that may reshape the battleground of immigration enforcement.
