Los Angeles burns while Gov. Gavin Newsom dares federal authorities to arrest him. Fiery protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations erupted in downtown Los Angeles, escalating into riots that crippled the city, as the Daily Mail reports. The chaos, fueled by anti-ICE sentiment, has exposed a clash between state defiance and federal resolve.
Riots spread from downtown to Paramount and Compton by Saturday, with over 2,000 protesters blocking the 101 Freeway and setting fires. President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops to restore order, while ICE arrested 118 immigrants, including serious offenders. Newsom’s taunts and the protesters’ violence have turned Los Angeles into a battleground over immigration policy.
Protests began when ICE launched raids on Friday, targeting child sex offenders, gang members, and national security threats. Newsom, after a 40-minute call with Trump, accused the president of manufacturing a crisis. His claim that California had no issues before Trump’s involvement ignores the documented arrests of dangerous criminals.
By Saturday, federal agents had arrested over a dozen agitators obstructing law enforcement. Protesters in Alameda and Temple hurled concrete and bottles at police, injuring at least two officers. The LAPD, stretched thin, issued dispersal orders as the city was placed on tactical alert.
Sunday’s chaos saw rioters torch five Waymo self-driving cars, each worth $150,000, releasing toxic gases from burning lithium-ion batteries. Waymo halted services to protect its fleet, and Los Angeles Street was shut down indefinitely. Newsom called the vandals “unacceptable,” yet blamed Trump for inflaming tensions.
Protesters escalated tactics, blockading streets with chairs and garbage bins near Temple and Main. At Los Angeles City Hall, horseback authorities faced off against demonstrators. The Civic Center saw further arrests as violence spiraled, with motorcyclists detained after plowing through crowds and injuring officers.
Trump’s deployment of the National Guard, including the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, aimed to quell what he called a “rebellion.” Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had 500 Marines on standby, signaling federal determination. Newsom’s accusation of a “breach of state sovereignty” rings hollow when rioters attack police and destroy property.
At the AC Hotel Pasadena, protesters chanted against ICE but remained non-violent, a rare exception. Elsewhere, demonstrators waved 3D-printed effigies of Trump’s head on poles, a grotesque display of rage. Such theatrics only deepen the divide, playing into the chaos Trump vowed to end.
ICE agents, masked to avoid doxxing, faced relentless opposition. Tom Homan, Trump’s border czar, dismissed Newsom’s defiance, noting it’s a felony to harbor unauthorized migrants or impede federal operations. His focus on removing “criminal aliens” underscores the stakes of unchecked lawlessness.
Newsom’s challenge to Homan -- “Come and arrest me” -- is political theater, not leadership. He accuses Trump of targeting innocent families, yet ICE’s arrests included verifiable threats. Painting federal agents as villains while rioters torch cars is a masterclass in misdirection.
Mayor Karen Bass criticized the National Guard’s presence as provocative, claiming it sows chaos. Her plea for calm ignores the reality: protesters, not troops, shut down freeways and attacked officers. Bass’s reluctance to confront the rioters’ role reveals a city leadership out of touch.
Kamala Harris called the Guard’s deployment a “dangerous escalation,” accusing Trump of spreading panic. Her rhetoric dismisses the documented violence, from missiles thrown off overpasses to fireworks aimed at police. Sympathizing with rioters over law enforcement is a choice, not a solution.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem insisted the National Guard would maintain peace while allowing protests. Trump’s directive to “liberate Los Angeles” from criminals reflects a commitment to order, not oppression. Newsom’s refusal to acknowledge the threat posed by some migrants fuels the unrest.
The 101 Freeway, briefly reopened, was shut again as violence persisted. Protesters outside the Metropolitan Detention Center faced warnings of less-lethal munitions after their gathering was declared unlawful. Federal and local authorities are stretched, yet Newsom points fingers instead of offering solutions.
Los Angeles stands at a crossroads: order or anarchy. Newsom’s grandstanding and the rioters’ destruction play into a narrative of resistance that harms the city more than it helps. Trump’s firm hand, while divisive, targets the lawlessness that Newsom seems content to excuse.
