Los Angeles Burns As ICE Anti-Immigration Raids Continue: A Timeline Of Events

Los Angeles (California): The standoff between US administration and protesters continued for a third day after demonstrators torched cars and engaged with security forces deployed by US President Donald Trump. According to the police department, at least 56 people have been arrested so far, and three officers have sustained minor injuries. Similar raids by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency in other US cities had triggered protests over the last few months, but the chaos in Los Angeles has been the biggest such incident so far. 

The developments are seen by California as Trump threatening the sovereignty of the state after he deployed the National Guard, a stand-by military usually controlled by the state's governor. Here is a timeline of how the events unfolded.

June 6: Los Angeles protest turns ugly 

The conflict began when immigration enforcement agents arrested a minimum of 45 individuals without warrants at seven different sites, including two Home Depot locations, a fashion district establishment, and a doughnut shop. Protests erupted at a San Diego eatery and in Minneapolis where federal agents entered a Latino neighbourhood in tactical gear. Visuals showed a man whose immigration case was dismissed by a court in New York City being taken down by ICE officials. 

A rally was organised by Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) on Los Angeles Street, which became a flashpoint of tensions. The police resorted to smoke bombs, confrontations, and crowd control tactics to disperse the protesters. Videos of the protests showed heated exchanges between demonstrators and officers, with crowds chanting and attempting to block the ICE agents' movements. Videos showed David Huerta, President of California's largest union SEIU, assaulted and arrested by the enforcement agencies.

June 7: Trump orders National Guards deployment 

US President Donald Trump signed a presidential memorandum deploying 2,000 National Guardsmen to Los Angeles to respond to escalating protests following the immigration enforcement raids. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, in a post on X, described the demonstrations as "violent mob assaults" intended to block the removal of "criminal illegal aliens."

"The violent mob assaults on ICE and Federal Law Enforcement are designed to prevent the removal of Criminal Illegal Aliens from our soil; a dangerous invasion facilitated by criminal cartels (aka Foreign Terrorist Organizations) and a huge NATIONAL SECURITY RISK," Hegseth wrote. He added that if the violence continues, active duty Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton are on high alert and may also be deployed.

California Governor Gavin Newsom said that the deployment was“purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions.” Donald Trump's chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America's economy," Newsom said.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also criticized the federal raids, stating that she had not been informed in advance. "ICE was literally chasing people down the street," Bass said, describing the arrests as "mass chaos." 

June 8: Trump asked to withdraw order as protest escalates

Gavin Newsom hit out at Trump, accusing him of fuelling unrest by deploying federal troops without local consent. "Let's be clear: Local law enforcement did not require assistance. Yet, Trump sent troops anyway--with the intent to create chaos and violence. He succeeded. Now, the situation is destabilized, and additional law enforcement is needed to clean up the mess he caused," Newsom wrote. He formally requested Trump to withdraw the National Guard.

The third day of demonstrations saw federal agents clash with protesters across the city, as tensions flared over Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and detentions of undocumented immigrants. Trump directed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi to coordinate with relevant departments and agencies to "take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots." He asserted that "order will be restored, the illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free," urging the public to pay close attention to the developments. 

(With inputs from ANI)

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