The Spark: ICE Raids Ignite a City
It started, as these things often do, with a rumor. On Friday, word spread through Los Angeles’ immigrant communities: ICE was coming.
By nightfall, federal agents had swept through the city’s fashion district and other neighborhoods, detaining dozens, including children, at the Edward Roybal Federal Building downtown. The American Civil Liberties Union of Southern California reported scenes of confusion and fear, with families separated and community leaders scrambling to respond.
By Saturday, the city was on edge. Protesters—some seasoned activists, others simply neighbors—gathered outside federal buildings, chanting, waving signs, and, in some cases, blocking traffic on the 101 freeway. The mood was tense but determined. I watched a man in a Dodgers cap shout, “We belong here—you don’t!” at a line of National Guard troops, his voice echoing the anger and anxiety that had gripped much of the city.
The Escalation: Trump’s National Guard Order
President Donald Trump, never one to shy away from a confrontation, responded with characteristic force. On Saturday night, he signed a memorandum authorizing the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, citing “lawlessness” and a need to restore order. By Sunday morning, hundreds of troops were stationed at key sites across the city, including the Metropolitan Detention Center and a Home Depot in Paramount, where ICE agents had reportedly staged the day before.
The images were jarring: armored vehicles parked outside strip malls, soldiers in fatigues standing guard as smoke from burning cars drifted across the skyline. At one point, law enforcement used tear gas and less-lethal rounds to disperse crowds, while protesters hurled rocks and concrete in return. The LAPD declared an unlawful assembly, and by the end of the weekend, dozens had been arrested, including David Huerta, a prominent labor leader, whose whereabouts became a rallying cry for demonstrators and politicians alike.
The Political Fallout: State vs. Federal
The deployment set off a political firestorm. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the move “purposefully inflammatory” and a “serious breach of state sovereignty,” formally requesting that the Trump administration rescind the order. “We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved,” Newsom said, warning that the presence of federalized troops would only escalate tensions.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed those concerns, describing the deployment as “completely unnecessary” and warning that a heavy-handed response could provoke the kind of unrest the city hadn’t seen since the 1992 riots. “If you want to see it happen again, then you have an extreme presence of troops or law enforcement officers, and that is going to agitate the population,” she told local media.
Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson and other Republican leaders praised Trump’s “real leadership,” insisting that federal intervention was necessary to maintain order and enforce immigration laws.
On the Ground: Fear, Anger, and Defiance
Walking through downtown LA on Sunday, the city felt like it was holding its breath. Protesters and National Guard troops eyed each other warily across barricades. At one point, a canister of tear gas landed near a group of journalists, sending us scrambling for cover. The crowd, undeterred, regrouped and resumed their chants: “ICE out of LA!”
The anger wasn’t just about the raids or the arrests—it was about a sense of betrayal. Many in LA’s immigrant communities felt targeted, not just by ICE, but by a federal government that seemed intent on making an example of their city. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,” Mayor Bass said in a statement.
Yet, amid the chaos, there were moments of solidarity. Volunteers handed out water and masks. Legal observers documented arrests. And everywhere, people insisted on their right to protest—peacefully, if possible, but forcefully if necessary.
What Comes Next?
As of Sunday night, the situation remained volatile. Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass continued to press for the withdrawal of federal troops, while President Trump warned that he would send “whatever is needed for law and order”—even hinting at the possibility of deploying active-duty Marines if unrest spread to other cities.
The legal and political battles are just beginning. But for those on the ground in Los Angeles, the stakes are immediate and deeply personal. As one protester told me, “We’re not just fighting for ourselves. We’re fighting for the soul of this city.”