Los Angeles: A City Under Siege?
"Trump's resolve to carry out deportations gets boosted by the demonstrations in Los Angeles, according to his statements."
In a unprecedented move On Sunday, U.S. President Donald Trump described Los Angeles as a city "under siege" by illegal immigrants and criminals, further fueling tensions that have been brewing since the mass migrant raids conducted by ICE on Friday.
Trump, never one to mince words, took to Truth Social to voice his frustrations, asserting that the protests sparked in response to the raids only serve to strengthen his resolve to deport. He ordered the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem; the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth; and the Attorney General, Pam Bondi (...) to take all necessary measures to liberate Los Angeles from the invasion of immigrants and put an end to these immigrant riots.
The president's remarks come on the third consecutive day of protests in the city of Los Angeles. In response to the demonstrations, Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops, with some of these military personnel being deployed in front of the federal building in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday.
The commander-in-chief's order was executed under a controversial federal provision that bypassed California Governor Gavin Newsom, marking only the fifth time in the last 60 years that such a move has been made. Some argue that this provision, partly grounded in the President's inherent constitutional authority, grants him the power to federalize the National Guard and address federal interests without the consent of the state governor.
The escalating situation took a turn for the worse when tensions finally boiled over, resulting in the burning of at least five autonomous taxis. A group of demonstrators, who were dispersed by the police from the main protest, headed to another street and set the vehicles ablaze.
In response to the turbulent demonstrations, the Los Angeles Police Department declared the protest an "illegal assembly," giving them the power to disperse the protesters who threw confetti at the officers and some bottles of water. As they were pushed back, the protesters took to the 101 freeway, blocking traffic for several hours. Meanwhile, the police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Isabella Garcia, a 32-year-old therapist, was among the demonstrators. Holding a sign that read, "My dad works harder than you, Mr. President," she firmly stated, "We're calm, we just want to express our anger about all this, we want to tell Trump that we won't tolerate him coming here to destroy families."
Both Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have called on the California community to exercise their right to protest peacefully, urging calmness and respect for law enforcement officers. "Speak out. Remain peaceful. Keep calm. Do not use violence and respect the law enforcement officers who are doing their best to maintain peace," the governor wrote on his social media platforms. Newsom has accused the U.S. administration of sowing chaos with the migrant arrests carried out by ICE in California since Friday.
In the midst of escalating tensions, President Trump orders military action and declares an end to the immigrant riots in Los Angeles, initially sparked by mass migrant raids. Politics, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice intersect as protests grow more turbulent, becoming a part of general news headlines, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement.
