Los Angeles braced for a fifth straight day of protests on Tuesday, as tensions soared between California leaders and the Trump administration following the president’s deployment of Marines and National Guard troops. The city’s streets, already simmering with unrest, erupted again Monday night in violent clashes. Near the federal courthouse, demonstrators hurled objects at officers, prompting the LAPD to respond with tear gas and crowd-control munitions.
These protests have ignited in direct response to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting undocumented immigrants under a directive from President Trump. The LAPD Central Division posted on social media that “less lethal munitions may cause pain and discomfort,” as confrontations between officers and protesters intensified. Tourists huddled inside hotels, residents watched from balconies, and downtown echoed with the sounds of flash bangs and tear gas being deployed.
Mayor Karen Bass, speaking to KABC-TV, stated that more than 100 arrests had been made on Monday night, blaming the unrest on “fringe groups” that had hijacked an otherwise peaceful demonstration. “What we’re seeing downtown is horrible, but most protesters earlier in the day were peaceful,” she said.
Calm Elsewhere in the City
Despite the explosive scenes downtown, most of Los Angeles remained calm. The city’s sprawling layout means the unrest has been contained to a few square miles, largely in commercial zones. Life in surrounding neighborhoods and across the wider county has continued with little disruption.
However, behind the scenes, tensions between Sacramento and Washington are reaching new heights. State officials announced plans to sue the Trump administration, accusing it of undermining Governor Gavin Newsom’s authority by sending in federal troops. Bass called the military deployment a “deliberate attempt to create disorder and chaos in our city.”
President Trump, for his part, defended the move, insisting the use of federal force was necessary in response to the mounting unrest surrounding his hardline immigration stance.
Military Involvement Sparks Debate
At a House Appropriations Subcommittee hearing on Tuesday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that the National Guard would play an increasingly central role in domestic security. “The National Guard is a huge component of how we see the future,” he said, defending the deployment of thousands of troops to Los Angeles.
Hegseth’s actions have drawn sharp criticism from Governor Newsom and other Democratic leaders, who argue that the military presence is aggravating the situation rather than calming it.
Newsom and Trump Allies Clash Online
The conflict between state and federal leaders spilled onto social media, where Newsom responded forcefully to attacks from Trump’s deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller. Miller accused the governor of surrendering the streets to rioters and refusing to prosecute offenders. Newsom hit back, referencing Trump’s pardons for individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol insurrection. “The only people defending insurrectionists are you,” Newsom wrote. “Or are we pretending like you didn’t pardon 1,500 of them?”
Civil Rights Groups Condemn Use of Force
A chorus of national civil rights organizations denounced the Trump administration’s military response, calling it “reckless” and “deeply disturbing.” In a joint statement, groups including the NAACP, National Urban League, and Legal Defense Fund highlighted the stark contrast between the current show of force in Los Angeles and the comparatively weak response to the January 6 insurrection.
“The disparity is alarming,” the statement read. “Peaceful protesters in Los Angeles are met with a military presence, while violent actors in Washington, D.C. faced little resistance. This inconsistency raises urgent questions about who power is wielded against—and why.”
Judith LeBlanc, director of the Native Organizers Alliance Action Fund, called the deployment “an act of violence meant to silence organizers standing against ICE’s daily raids.”
Journalists Caught in the Crossfire
Multiple journalists have reported being injured by nonlethal munitions while covering the protests. Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi was struck in the leg by a rubber bullet during a live broadcast, with video showing an officer appearing to aim at her. Toby Canham, a New York Post photographer, was hit in the forehead, while British freelance journalist Nick Stern required emergency surgery after being shot in the leg.
Press freedom advocates have raised the alarm. Katherine Jacobsen of the Committee to Protect Journalists warned that targeting the media is unacceptable. “Authorities must respect the media’s role in documenting matters of public interest,” she said.
Mike Balsamo, President of the National Press Club, was even more direct: “Law enforcement cannot pick and choose when the First Amendment applies. Journalists weren’t caught in the crossfire—they were targeted.”
