President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 members of the California National Guard to be deployed to Los Angeles over the weekend following violent protests sparked by federal immigration raids — a decision sharply criticized by California Governor Gavin Newsom, who accused the White House of escalating an already tense situation.
The unrest began Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted large-scale raids in Los Angeles County, prompting widespread protests in several neighborhoods. By nightfall, the demonstrations escalated into riots, with some protesters reportedly hurling rocks and concrete at federal vehicles, damaging property, and injuring multiple officers.
In response, Trump bypassed the governor’s authority and activated the National Guard, citing “lawlessness and attacks on federal personnel.”
“Great job by the National Guard in Los Angeles after two days of violence, clashes and unrest,” Trump wrote on his social media platform, Truth Social, on Sunday morning. He criticized Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass as “incompetent,” and vowed to crack down harder on what he described as “Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers.”
In a controversial addition, Trump declared that protesters would no longer be allowed to wear masks at demonstrations, questioning what “these people have to hide.”
Overnight on Saturday, law enforcement reported several serious incidents. According to Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department Sergeant Miguel Meza, two individuals were arrested — one for allegedly throwing a Molotov cocktail that injured three sheriff’s deputies. Authorities say several others were detained after ignoring orders to disperse.
A car was also set ablaze at a downtown intersection. Videos posted to social media showed two individuals circling the burning vehicle on motorbikes, with one of them waving a Mexican flag — an image that quickly circulated among conservative media outlets.
Despite the escalation, Governor Newsom firmly rejected the federal deployment, calling it “purposefully inflammatory” and unnecessary.
“The federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers. That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions,” Newsom said in a post on X. “There is currently no unmet need. Local authorities are capable of managing this.”
Newsom also praised the National Guard’s ongoing work in disaster recovery, but said this mission was not appropriate and risked “eroding public trust.”
In a swift rebuttal, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt fired back at the governor.
“Illegal criminal aliens and violent mobs have been committing arson, throwing rocks at vehicles, and attacking federal law enforcement for days,” she said. “Gavin Newsom has done nothing to stop this violence. He should be thanking President Trump for bringing law and order to California.”
The standoff intensified further when Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth issued a stern warning that active-duty Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton were on “high alert” and could be mobilized if the violence persisted.
“Under President Trump, violence and destruction against federal agents and federal facilities will NOT be tolerated. It’s COMMON SENSE,” Hegseth posted on X.
Governor Newsom responded with alarm, calling Hegseth’s statement “deranged.”
“The Secretary of Defense is now threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens,” Newsom wrote. “This is deranged behavior.”
Meanwhile, L.A. Mayor Karen Bass has remained more cautious in her public comments. A spokesperson for her office said she is continuing to coordinate with both federal and local authorities, and is focused on maintaining public safety while “actively responding to immigration enforcement operations.”
The protests — which began as demonstrations against ICE raids that advocates call overly aggressive and disruptive to immigrant communities — have reignited long-standing tensions between California’s leadership and federal immigration policy.
With National Guard troops now patrolling parts of the city and active-duty military potentially waiting in the wings, Los Angeles faces an uncertain week ahead, caught between federal authority and local resistance.
Key Developments:
Trump deploys 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid riots.
ICE raids on Friday sparked unrest; rocks and Molotov cocktails thrown at officers.
Governor Newsom strongly objects, calling the move inflammatory and unnecessary.
Federal officials warn Marines could be deployed if violence continues.
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