California’s National Guard began arriving in Los Angeles (LA) early Sunday morning, following President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy 2,000 troops to the city in response to escalating violence surrounding ongoing anti-ICE riots.
The deployment marks a significant federal intervention in what the White House has called a breakdown of law and order in the nation’s second-largest city.
U.S. Northern Command confirmed on social media platform X that units from the National Guard were being mobilized, with some personnel already stationed in downtown Los Angeles.
The initial deployment has focused on a small, high-tension area surrounding the Metropolitan Detention Center, a frequent flashpoint in recent confrontations between protesters and law enforcement. Other areas of the city, for now, remain largely undisturbed by the troop movement.
The federal response follows a Saturday night post on Truth Social from President Trump, who sharply criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for what he characterized as a failure to control the protests.
Trump stated, “Radical left protests will not be tolerated,” and issued a warning that protestors would no longer be allowed to wear masks during demonstrations, a move aimed at curbing anonymity during violent acts.
“These are not peaceful demonstrations,” Trump wrote. “When you’re throwing concrete at federal agents and setting fires in the streets, you’re not protesting — you’re rioting. We will restore order.”
Governor Newsom fired back on Sunday, accusing the Trump administration of politicizing the crisis. In a post on X, Newsom wrote, “The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles — not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle. Don’t give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully.”
Tensions in Los Angeles have steadily increased throughout the week following a series of immigration enforcement actions by federal agents that resulted in over 100 arrests across the city.
The protests, which began as small-scale demonstrations, quickly escalated over the weekend. One particularly volatile incident occurred near a Home Depot in the city of Paramount, where protestors blocked Border Patrol vehicles and reportedly hurled rocks and chunks of concrete.
Fires were lit in multiple locations, prompting federal officers to deploy tear gas and other non-lethal crowd control measures.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem addressed the public on Sunday, defending the National Guard’s role in the situation. “Their job is to keep peace,” she said. “We respect the right of Americans to protest. But when protests become violent, when they threaten public safety and target federal personnel, the federal government has a duty to act.”
"We are not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen," Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says, referring to violent protests that happened that year, as President Trump says he is going to mobilize the National Guard for ongoing protests in Los Angeles.
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) June 8, 2025
She says California… pic.twitter.com/Sv7rCbn5II