University of Kwazulu-Natal

Photos Historic Three Day Protests In La Over Immigration Raids

Bonisiwe Shabane
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photos historic three day protests in la over immigration raids

The city of Los Angeles has become the center of a growing national crisis. What began with a weekend of coordinated ICE raids quickly escalated into protests in LA that have left the city reeling. As videos of clashes, tear gas, and bloodied protesters flood social media, it’s clear this wasn’t just another demonstration—it was a breaking point. For many immigrant families, the fear had been building for years. But this time, the response was different. Thousands took to the streets, saying enough is enough.

Read also: VIDEO: “We’ve been intercepted” Greta Thunberg and Activists Captured by Israeli Military Amid Humanitarian Aid The spark behind the protests in LA was a series of large-scale immigration raids carried out by ICE agents. More than 100 people were detained, many during daylight operations at well-known businesses, including two Home Depot stores and a clothing wholesaler. The message many residents heard loud and clear: no place is safe—not even your workplace or your local store. Community organizers called the raids “deliberate intimidation,” and within hours, demonstrations began erupting across the city. Sunday marked the third day of unrest as thousands of protesters against recent immigration raids took to the streets of downtown Los Angeles to voice their opposition.

The Los Angeles Police Department estimated that about 6,000 demonstrators flocked to downtown for the rally. Waving several cultural flags in the air and holding signs stating their opinions, protesters took over the streets of downtown. In response to the ongoing unrest, President Donald Trump deployed the California National Guard to the city. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom said they objected the move since they believe the Guard's presence would escalate tensions. Bass added that her understanding is the troops were sent to protect three federal buildings in Los Angeles.

On June 6, 2025, protests began in Los Angeles after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents raided several city locations to arrest individuals allegedly involved in illegal immigration to the United States. Some protests turned into riots after protestors clashed with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and ICE,[a] but most remained peaceful and occurred within a small stretch of downtown Los Angeles.[b] On June 7, protestors and federal law enforcement agents clashed in Paramount and Compton during raids. President Donald Trump responded by federalizing the California National Guard, calling for 2,000 guard members to deploy to the city under Joint Task Force 51. Protests were organized and attended by multiple groups and unaffiliated protestors. On June 9, the president authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard members, and the Pentagon activated 700 Marines to deploy to the city, who arrived the next day.

Critics, including California governor Gavin Newsom (who has sued Trump over the federalization), described the military response as premature, inflammatory, for political gain, and authoritarian. Reuters reported that the protests were the strongest domestic backlash to Trump since he took office in January, and became a focal point in a national debate over immigration, protest, the use of federal... On July 11, U.S. District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong concluded that the administration likely violated immigrants' rights and ordered a stop to immigration arrests without probable cause, alleging that the administration targeted California residents based on race, language... District Judge Charles Breyer ruled the deployment of the military illegal and a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, and ordered the administration not to use National Guard or military troops for civilian law... Breyer found the rationale for deployment as contrived, writing that "There was no rebellion, nor was civilian law enforcement unable to respond to the protests and enforce the law."[48] Prosecutors failed to secure indictments...

The anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles inspired additional anti-ICE protests in other U.S. cities, such as New York, Chicago, and Dallas. Protests and movements against ICE have been seen throughout the United States, with a major movement seen in Abolish ICE, which gained mainstream traction in June 2018, following the Trump administration family separation policy.[50][51]... After sending the National Guard to quell demonstrations, the president’s next move could be dispatching Marines to the country’s second-largest city. Flaming self-driving Waymo cars, "Death 2 ICE" spray-painted across the entrance of a boarded T-Mobile store, highway overpasses dotted with anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) graffiti, swaths of police cars lined up. These are some of the scenes captured by photojournalists during mass protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles over the weekend.

The demonstrations reached a climax after President Trump deployed the National Guard without California Governor Gavin Newsom's consent in a rare exercise of power for a sitting president. Hundreds poured onto the streets of Downtown Los Angeles and nearby Paramount — a small city with a large Latino population — in a series of demonstrations that began last Friday, June 6, and... At least 56 protesters were reported to have been arrested as of this writing. Protesters first gathered in the city's fashion district, where ICE was conducting an immigration raid, prompting further demonstrations in front of the Los Angeles Federal Building later that day. The Trump administration invoked a federal law that grants the president authority to mobilize the National Guard, usually controlled by state governors, to "suppress ... rebellion." Newsom condemned the president's intervention as a "serious breach of state sovereignty" and announced that he is suing Trump.

Newsom also called the move illegal. During a dramatic third day of protests, approximately 300 Trump-deployed members of the California National Guard stood in front of federally controlled buildings, including a detention facility, in opposition to protesters who called for... Protesters carried Mexican flags, makeshift signs defending immigrants' rights, and covered their faces and eyes. As of 4:30 a.m. Monday, June 9, this blog is no longer being updated in real-time. For the latest updates on the protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles, here is where to find continuing coverage.

Mayor Bass announced a curfew for downtown Los Angeles following four nights of sporadically chaotic protests. Also, ICE has expanded into rural communities following days of coordinated raids in urban areas of Los Angeles County. National Guard arrives in Los Angeles as fallout from immigration raids continues California National Guard troops arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday in a show of force following scattered clashes between immigration agents and protesters and amid a widening political divide between California and the Trump... The move by President Trump to activate nearly 2,000 guardsmen marked the first time since 1965 that a president has deployed a state’s National Guard without a request from that state’s governor. The decision was met with stern rebukes from state and local officials, including Gov.

Gavin Newsom who said the deployment was “not to meet an unmet need, but to manufacture a crisis.” Solidarity protests against ICE have broken out in other cities. Demonstrations have gripped Los Angeles for several days in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the sanctuary city, with some protesters clashing with police. Tensions escalated after President Donald Trump called up the National Guard over the objections of state and city leaders to address what the White House referred to as the "lawlessness that has been allowed... Solidarity protests against ICE have broken out in other cities in the wake of the federal response, which has also included deploying hundreds of Marines to Los Angeles. Here's a look at how the protests began and what demonstrators are calling for.

LOS ANGELES (AP) — After federal immigration authorities arrested dozens of people across Los Angeles, protesters turned out to demand their release. Police in riot gear responded with tear gas to disperse the demonstrators. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. Law enforcement stand during a protest in Compton, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025, after federal immigration authorities conducted operations. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Law enforcement help a person out of a car as a fire burns during a protest in Compton, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025, after federal immigration authorities conducted operations.

(AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Spectators watch during a protest in Compton, Calif., Saturday, June 7, 2025, after federal immigration authorities conducted operations. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope) Hundreds of people have been arrested in Los Angeles after days of protests, which erupted following immigration raids ordered by US President Donald Trump. An overnight curfew is in force after violence in downtown LA. Elsewhere, much of the protest activity has been peaceful.

Demos have also been confined to relatively small pockets of LA, while also spreading to other US cities. Trump has deployed thousands of troops, including 700 US Marines, to LA - triggering a row with state officials who say they have things under control. The demonstrations began on Friday after it emerged Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers were carrying out raids in areas of the city with prominent Latino populations. Raids have stepped up after Trump returned to the White House and pledged to crack down on illegal immigration.

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