Los Angeles Protests Escalate Amid Federal Military Deployment -

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Protests Downtown Los Angeles escalated by leaps and bounds during the last 24 hours, with massive crowds gathering in and around Little Tokyo and the Arts District to protest Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions and more general federal immigration policies. In turn, law enforcement has rolled in aggressively, striking and detaining scores of demonstrators.

Protesters were zip-tied and led onto police buses, as officers in riot gear deployed flash-bang grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas to break up crowds. Protesters tossing bottles, pieces of concrete, and what appear to be fireworks can be seen in videos making the rounds online. The situation is becoming more intense, with property damage and shut-down freeways, such as the 101, contributing to the mayhem. A number of autonomous cars, including five Waymo vehicles, were torched.

During the heightened tensions, a CNN news team found themselves part of the narrative. Reporter Jason Carroll and his team were instructed by police to put their hands behind their backs and were briefly held before being escorted away from the protest area. Two security staff members who were working with the CNN team were also detained but released without charges later. The shooting has reignited controversy about press freedom and the protection of journalists covering hotspots.

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The national government moved to counter this by substantially expanding its military presence in the area. President Donald Trump approved the deployment of as many as 4,000 National Guard soldiers in the Greater Los Angeles region, doubling the initial number. Around 2,000 of those troops have already been activated, in addition to a separate deployment of 700 U.S. Marines. This marks a significant escalation in federal involvement, as it’s the first time since 1965 that National Guard forces have been deployed to California without the governor’s request. The Trump administration is invoking Title 10 authorities, which allow federal control of state forces under certain circumstances.

The deployment has triggered significant political and legal backlash from California leaders. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the federal response, stating that the city is being used as a “test case” for authoritarian overreach. She dismissed federal claims that L.A. is under siege by “criminal aliens,” and argued that the situation had remained mostly peaceful until federal forces arrived. The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, condemned the move and declared the filing of a lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit contended that the procedure of federalizing National Guard troops without state consent violates the Tenth Amendment and traditional civil-military protocols.

The attorney general, Rob Bonta, has filed an emergency restraining order to bar additional troop deployments, labeling the move “unprecedented, unlawful, and unnecessary.” Legal scholars have opined that unilateral action by the federal government could create a dark precedent, impairing sovereignty of states and the delicate balance of the federalist system established under the Constitution.

The law enforcement segment saw L.A. Police Chief Jim McDonnell acknowledging the burgeoning stress on local resources. He said that officers were getting hurt and feeling overwhelmed by the developing intensity of protest tactics that now include fireworks and cinderblocks flying. Yet, he would not bless the federal troop presence and asked instead for de-escalation and community engagement.

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Meanwhile, nationwide protests have become widespread. Rallies have broken out in at least seven other large U.S. cities such as San Francisco, New York, Seattle, Atlanta, Dallas, and Louisville. More than 150 were arrested in San Francisco alone. New York officials have also made “multiple” arrests during scattered confrontations with police. While others remained peaceful, some echoed the chaos of Los Angeles.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stoked the flames by asserting in a Fox News interview that the protests in Los Angeles were “professionally organized” and “paid for,” but she offered no evidence. Her remarks were roundly denounced by activists and reporters as inflammatory and unsubstantiated.

As of June 10, the situation in Los Angeles remains tense, with federal troops patrolling side by side with local police, and protest activity appears nowhere near slowing down. The legal challenge by California sets the stage for what may well be the constitutional battle of the century-one that tests the limits of executive power and state-federal relations. For the moment, the city is a tinderbox in an escalating national battle over immigration policy, civil rights, and the use of federal force in city government.

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