Trump deploys 2,000 troops to Los Angeles as immigration protests intensify PHOTO

US President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to ongoing unrest linked to recent federal immigration raids, despite strong objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The deployment comes after two days of escalating protests in Los Angeles, where residents in predominantly Latino neighbourhoods clashed with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, Caliber.Az reports, citing American media sources.

The protests intensified following a series of ICE raids on June 7 that led to the detention of over 100 individuals across the city, including at businesses in the Fashion District and several Home Depot locations.

Demonstrators gathered around key federal sites such as the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building and the Metropolitan Detention Center to demand the release of those detained. However, the protests quickly turned violent in some areas, with law enforcement responding by deploying tear gas and "less lethal munitions" to disperse crowds. A car was set ablaze at a Compton intersection during an anti-ICE demonstration, and protesters blocked streets with shopping carts and set rubbish fires near a Home Depot in Paramount.

In a presidential order, Trump described the protests as a form of rebellion: "To the extent that protests or acts of violence directly inhibit the execution of the laws, they constitute a form of rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States." The order authorizes the National Guard units to "temporarily protect" federal immigration officers amid the unrest.

Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the federal government's move on social media, saying, "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."

The National Guard operates as a hybrid force serving both state and federal interests, often under state command and funding. However, under certain circumstances, National Guard troops can be assigned to federal missions while remaining under state command but funded federally.

By Khagan Isayev