ICE Raids on LA Downtown Garment Districts… Over 100 Arrested
Protests against the intensifying crackdown on illegal immigrants by the U.S. federal government continued for the third day on the 8th (local time) in Los Angeles, California. The arrival of the National Guard, ordered by President Donald Trump, led to some areas where soldiers fired tear gas at protestors.
Multiple U.S. media outlets reported that 300 National Guard members were deployed to three key protest areas in LA. The troops from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team were said to be wearing helmets and bulletproof vests and armed with rifles, tasked with protecting federal assets and personnel. Previously in 2020, Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests erupted in the U.S. following the death of George Floyd, an African American, due to police brutality. Kristjen Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, stated, “We will not let the 2020 incident repeat.”
The protests began on the 6th. Agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raided downtown LA garment districts, detaining 44 undocumented immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security announced 118 arrests in LA. Criticism began to emerge, especially centered around the Hispanic-majority areas like Paramount, which have high immigrant populations. On the 7th, the protests intensified, with some participants setting trees and trash on fire and kicking Border Patrol vehicles. In response, authority forces resorted to tear gas and flashbangs.
On the 7th, President Trump used his social networking service, Truth Social, to criticize Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of LA for mishandling the situation, stating, “The federal government will directly address the riots and looting issues.” The White House subsequently announced the signing of an order to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops. Meeting reporters at Morristown Airport in New Jersey on the 8th, Trump said the protests against immigration crackdowns are not an insurrection but mentioned the military was deployed to maintain order and could further increase troops.
Additionally, he declared a ban on the protestors wearing masks and indicated troops would be deployed everywhere. In the U.S., a federal system typically prohibits the use of military force in civil law enforcement. However, the Insurrection Act allows the president the power to deploy troops domestically under certain legal conditions. Currently, President Trump bypassed the Insurrection Act and, based on U.S. Code Title 10, Section 12406, transferred control of the National Guard, following a governor’s directive, to the Secretary of Defense and ordered 2,000 National Guard troops to protest areas.