Anti-ICE protest erupted in Los Angeles as ICE conducted raids
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted raids in several locations in Los Angeles, CA. In response, the mayor of Los Angeles condemned the raids and anti-ICE protesters showed up. The protesters reportedly threw items at the federal agents and defaced federal property. Lost Angeles Police eventually moved in and declared the protest an unlawful assembly. President Trump warned that if neither the mayor nor the governor do anything about it, additional federal assets including the National Guard will be deployed to the area.
From Reuters:
Early in the standoff, some protesters hurled chunks of broken concrete toward officers, and police responded by firing volleys of tear gas and pepper spray. Police also fired “flash-bang” concussion rounds. It was not clear whether there were any immediate arrests.
An LAPD spokesperson, Drake Madison, told Reuters that police on the scene had declared an unlawful assembly, meaning that those who failed to leave the area were subject to arrest.
Television news footage earlier in the day showed caravans of unmarked military-style vehicles and vans loaded with uniformed federal agents streaming through Los Angeles streets as part of the immigration enforcement operation.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents targeted several locations, including a Home Depot in the city’s Wetlake District, an apparel store in the Fashion District and a clothing warehouse in South Los Angeles, according to the Los Angeles City News Service (CNS).
CNS and other local media reported dozens of people were taken into custody during the raids, the latest in a series of such sweeps conducted in a number of cities as part of President Donald Trump’s extensive crackdown on illegal immigration.
The Republican president has vowed to arrest and deport undocumented migrants in record numbers.
The LAPD did not take part in the immigration enforcement action. It was deployed to quell civil unrest after crowds protesting the deportation raids spray-painted anti-ICE slogans on the walls of a federal court building and massed outside a nearby jail where some of the detainees were believed to be held.
Additional Reading:
Koch, A., & Melugin, B. (2025, June 7). National Guard to be deployed in Los Angeles County as anti-ICE protests rage: Border czar Tom Homan. Fox News. Link.
Ross, J., & Gorman, S. (2025, June 7). Riot police, anti-ICE protesters square off in Los Angeles after raids. Reuters. Link.
Category: Illegal Immigrants, Society