Hundreds arrested in LA protests as Hegseth hints at more deployments: Updates
Editor's note: This page reflects the news from ICE protests in Los Angeles on Wednesday, June 11. For the latest news on protests across the country, read USA TODAY's live coverage for Thursday, June 12.
LOS ANGELES − Two people have been charged with throwing firebombs during five days of protests that have rocked a downtown section of the city and prompted President Trump' controversial decision to send 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines here, authorities said Wednesday.
A federal complaint charges Emiliano Gardno Galvez, 23, of Paramount and Wrackkie Quiogue, 27, of Long Beach, with possession of an unregistered destructive device, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli said at least nine people face federal charges related to the demonstrations.
The protests have been prompted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps spurred by President Trump's directive to find immigrants living in the United States without legal status.
The Los Angeles Police Department said it has arrested over 385 people since the protests began, including over 200 people after a curfew was imposed Tuesday night.
Protests against immigration raids and in support of demonstrators in Los Angeles have spread from coast-to-coast. Dozens of people were arrested in protests Tuesday night in cities including New York, Denver, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
Meanwhile, in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott deployed the National Guard.
Marines expected to deploy within 48 hours
The 700 active-duty Marines sent to Los Angeles are expected to deploy within 48 hours, according to U.S. Northern Command.
Officials at Northern Command say that the Marines had completed their training for their mission in California and “will be employed seamlessly alongside the National Guard forces.”
“Their activation and inclusion in the task force was intended to provide adequate numbers of forces to provide continuous coverage of the area in support of the Lead Federal Agency,” said officials, referring to the Department of Homeland Security which includes Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
National Guard commander Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman said earlier on Wednesday that his troops would be following federal agents: “They’re in the lead. We’re supporting them. It’s really about protecting federal facilities and federal personnel as they do their job.”
Marines being deployed were trained in crowd control, de-escalation techniques and in proper use of force, according to Northern Command.
The additional troops will join 2,100 National Guard members already on the ground, officials said.
Homeland Security seeks weapons, drones for LA immigration crackdown
WASHINGTON —The Department of Homeland Security has asked the Pentagon for help in transporting weapons from Fort Benning in Georgia and another site in Wyoming to Los Angeles, where its immigration crackdown has become increasingly militarized.
The request from Homeland Security, confirmed by a Defense official, also seeks “drone surveillance support,” direction to troops on detaining or arresting “lawbreakers,” and graduates from an organization like the Marines’ School of Advanced Warfighting School for setting up a joint operation center.
It's unclear what type of weapons Homeland Security officials are seeking for their immigration crackdown in California. Also unclear: who would use them and who they would be used against.
Pentagon officials are reviewing the request, according to the official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The Department of Homeland Security did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
- Tom Vanden Brook
National Guard assisting ICE, can temporarily detain people
Soldiers from the National Guard deployed to Los Angeles are assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in their operations and can temporarily detain people, according to Maj. Gen. Scott Sherman.
The troops are also being trained to engage on the ground, Sherman said.
The National Guard general told reporters on Wednesday that about 1,000 National Guard members deployed have been tasked with protecting federal buildings and the “protection of federal law enforcement as they conduct their mission.”
National Guard members are not authorized to make arrests but can “temporarily detain” people, according to Sherman.
Details about what National Guard members are doing in Los Angeles come as ICE officials share photos of troops with AR-15 Style rifles standing guard over federal agents handcuffing people.
National Guard spokesperson Master Sgt. Tabitha Lee said 500 troops had been trained to accompany ICE agents.
“This is stuff that we do not do, and this is working with federal law enforcement,” Sherman said. “They’re in the lead. We’re supporting them. It’s really about protecting federal facilities and federal personnel as they do their job.”
Sherman’s confirmation of the National Guard’s role comes as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth told Congress that the deployment of troops could expand beyond Los Angeles.
Early federal charges announced following LA protests
Galvez is accused of hiding behind a fence and throwing the device at a sheriff’s deputy on Saturday, June 7, in Paramount, Essayli said. He is an undocumented immigrant from Mexico and has been previously deported, the Department of Homeland Security said in a statement.
ICE officers arrested him on a charge of attempted murder in the attack.
Quiogue is charged with throwing a Molotov cocktail during the protest on June 8, Essayli said.
More charges are expected, Essayli said at a briefing Wednesday.
“We are looking at hundreds of people. ... We’re going to take our time, we’re going to identify people,” he said. “We’re coming after all these people. So let’s be clear: This is the beginning, not the end.”
Over 30 California mayors, city leaders call for ICE sweeps to end
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, joined by over 30 city leaders from across Southern California, called on the Trump administration to end the immigration sweeps that led to the recent volatile protests in Los Angeles and other cities nationwide.
“All of us represent cities in this region where immigrants are key,” Bass said. “To have people live in fear like it is today is just unacceptable.”
She said the Trump administration is conducting a “national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in reaching in and taking over power from a governor (and) power from a local jurisdiction.”
Bass also accused the administration of intentionally inciting fear through its raids and deployment of National Guard troops and Marines. “When you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you run armored caravans through our streets, you’re not trying to keep anyone safe, you’re trying to cause fear and panic,” Bass said.
Los Angeles families fear ICE raids at school graduation ceremonies
Many Angeleno immigrants are foregoing the chance to witness their young loved ones receive diplomas or advance to the next grade at upcoming school graduation ceremonies out of fear of getting deported.
"I’ve spoken with parents who’ve told me that their daughter would be the first in their family to graduate high school and they’re not going to be there to witness it, because they have a fear of the place of graduation being targeted,” said Alberto Carvalho, superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District, which covers the majority of the city and some surrounding areas of Los Angeles and serves more than a half of a million public school students, during a June 9 news conference. More than one-third of Angelenos are immigrants.
Their absence amid the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration crackdown is felt around Los Angeles.
At a June 10 commencement ceremony on the Westside, Palms Middle School Principal Arturo Enriquez told the public school families that community members were stationed outside of the campus "ready to call me" if U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials showed up.
"We are a melting pot of beautiful, incredible people," Enriquez said to the crowd before wiping a tear from his eye. "This incredible community, all of these students, all of these parents, guardians, friends and family, it is because of you that these young people are here ready to go on to that next step – to that high school life, to represent each of us as an incredible member of society."
Read more about how students and families are being impacted here.
San Francisco protest at immigration court leads to arrests
Los Angeles is not the only major city in California that has been the site of fiery protests in recent days.
In San Francisco, law enforcement arrested at least four people during a protest June 10 outside the city’s immigration court, a local NBC station reported. These arrests come after the city’s police force arrested more than 150 during a demonstration that turned violent on Sunday.
Other protests have occurred in nearby Oakland.
LAPD: Over 200 people arrested after curfew
The Los Angeles Police Department said it arrested 225 people on Tuesday night after Mayor Karen Bass’ curfew went into effect.
Most of the arrests – approximately 203 – were on failure to disperse charges, while others involved curfew violations, possession of a firearm and assault on a police officer, according to a statement from the department.
Officers used non-lethal munitions to disperse the crowd and two officers were injured and received medical treatment, the department said. These arrests follow more than 160 arrests the department made during protests over the weekend and on Monday night.
Hegseth says deployments could expand beyond California
The federal government's deployment of National Guard troops could expand beyond Los Angeles, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a congressional hearing Wednesday in Washington.
“Part of it is getting ahead of a problem, so that if in other places, if there are other riots in places where law enforcement officers are threatened, we would have the capability to surge the national guard there if necessary,” Hegseth said.
Hegseth also took a shot at California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has filed suit against the Trump administration for sending in the National Guard, a move Newsom adamantly opposes.
“Thankfully, in most of those states you have a governor that recognizes the need for it, supports it, mobilizes it for himself or herself,” Hegseth said. “In California, unfortunately, the governor wants to play politics with it.”
National Guard major general clarifies military role in LA
National Guard troops and Marines deployed to quell unrest in Los Angeles will not conduct arrests, but they might detain demonstrators temporarily while waiting law enforcement to arrive at the scene, National Guard Major General Scott Sherman said at a briefing Wednesday.
“It’s really about protecting federal facilities and federal personnel as they do their job,” Sherman said.
The 4,000 National Guard and 700 Marines deployed by Trump are receiving two days of training on civil unrest that includes crowd control and protection of property, Sherman said. There are currently 2,000 Guard members on duty “performing operations,” he said. Another 2,000 are assembling, or “mustering,” and will be ready to begin their training Thursday, Sherman said.
The 700 Marines are at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, but Sherman said he couldn’t say when they would be seen on the streets.
White House: 'America voted for deportations'
The LAPD on Wednesday urged businesses and residents to document and report damage and vandalism as authorities braced for a sixth day of demonstrations. They have been prompted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement sweeps spurred by President Trump's directive to find immigrants living in the United States without legal status.
"The Trump administration told us they were going after violent criminals, gang members, and drug dealers," Mayor Karen Bass said in a social media post Wednesday. "But they went after (day laborers outside) Home Depot. They’re going after families and children. That does not make Los Angeles more safe."
The White House was unyielding. Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy, framed the political clash as an attempt to nullify the 2024 election.
"America voted for mass deportations," Miller wrote on social media. "Violent insurrectionists, and the politicians who enable them, are trying to overthrow the results of the election."
Protests planned across the nation on June 14
After protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles sparked a mass military response, similar demonstrations erupted in other cities around the nation. From major metros like New York City and Chicago to smaller areas like Columbus, Ohio, and Des Moines, Iowa, here's a look at demonstrations nationwide.
Protests against immigration and other Trump policies are planned in at least 1,500 communities across the country on June 14, the same day President Donald Trump holds a military parade in Washington and celebrates his birthday.
The rallies, named "No Kings Day," are expected to be the largest and most widespread protests since Trump took office. Organizers say a core principle of the protests will be "a commitment to nonviolent action" and discouraged participants from bringing weapons to the events.
"We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events," organizers say on the nokings.org website.
Texas to deploy National Guard ahead of protests
Texas is following President Donald Trump's lead, and will deploy the National Guard in preparation for protests planned for June 14 as demonstrations against immigration raids spread throughout the country. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican and ally of Trump, said he would send the Guard members to locations across the state to "ensure peace & order."
Abbott's decision comes after protesters in Austin clashed with police June 9.
"Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest," he said in a post to X. "@TexasGuard will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order."
The situation is markedly different from California, where the governor has opposed the use of the Guard.
San Antonio mayor says he was unaware of troop deployment
San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg, a Democrat, told reporters he did not request the Texas National Guard and said he did not receive advanced warning about Gov. Greg Abbott’s deployment of troops to the city ahead of planned protests.
Nirenberg’s comments at a news conference came after Abbott announced he will deploy members of the state’s National Guard across Texas. Nirenberg and San Antonio Police Chief William McManus said they did not know how many troops would be deployed to the city.
“I don’t have any information about the numbers or what they’re going to do,” McManus said.
Nirenberg urged protesters to exercise their right to free speech but told them to “keep it lawful and peaceful,” adding, “I am confident that San Antonio knows how to do this right.”
Violence, curfew involve small area of vast city
In Los Angeles, Bass has declared a partial curfew effective daily from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. local time, part of the city's strategy to quell ongoing looting and vandalism linked to the protests. The curfew covers one square mile of a city sprawling across a land area one-third the size of Rhode Island. The larger Los Angeles metro area covers an area nearly the size of Maine.
Shortly after the curfew went into effect Tuesday, the Los Angeles Police Department announced that multiple groups had congregated in an area not far from City Hall and federal buildings where some detained immigrants have been held.
"Those groups are being addressed and mass arrests are being initiated," the LAPD said. "Curfew is in effect."
President Donald Trump vents on Truth Social
Trump called the protests “violent, insurrectionist mobs” and “lawless riots” and ordered 4,000 National Guard Troops and 700 Marines into the city. But Gov. Gavin Newsom said it was Trump who “instigated violence.”
In a public address Tuesday night, California Gov. Gavin Newsom condemned Trump's deployment of 4,000 National Guard troops and about 700 Marines, a move that state and local officials have called unnecessary, illegal, and politically motivated. Trump, according to Newsom, was not "protecting our communities, he’s traumatizing our communities."
Trump fired back Wednesday on social media: "The INCOMPETENT Governor of California was unable to provide protection in a timely manner when our Ice Officers, GREAT Patriots they are, were attacked by an out of control mob of agitators, troublemakers, and/or insurrectionists. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!"
New York, Chicago, Atlanta among cities with protests
In New York City, hundreds rallied near the city’s main immigration court on June 10. Tensions eventually flared and 86 people were taken into custody, with 34 people being charged and 52 issued criminal court summonses, according to the New York Police Department.
In Colorado, a demonstration at the state capitol drew hundreds of protesters who marched peacefully through the downtown area, CRP News reported. Tensions escalated between a group that splintered off from the main demonstration and law enforcement, leading to at least 17 arrests on charges including obstructing streets and assault.
In Philadelphia, more than 150 protesters gathered at the Federal Detention Center in the City Center area, local media outlets reported. The Philadelphia Police Department said protesters at one point ignored demands to disperse and grew increasingly unruly, leading to more than a dozen arrests and several injuries.
Not all rallies were marred by arrests and clashes between police and demonstrators. In Ohio, between 200 to 300 people protested ICE raids in downtown Columbus, crossing in front of the local police headquarters and city hall without incident.
National Guard troops aid immigration raids
Reuters reported that about 2,100 National Guard troops were in the greater Los Angeles area on Tuesday, with more on the way. Meanwhile, hundreds of Marines were in a staging area near the city, awaiting deployment to specific locations, according to Reuters.
Though few of those troops were actually on the streets, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement posted photos on X showing Guard troops accompanying ICE officers on an immigration raid. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reposted the photos, saying: "This We’ll Defend."
The Trump administration has vowed to redouble immigration enforcement raids in response to the protests, which have expanded to other U.S. cities, including Chicago, New York, and Atlanta.
California sued Trump and the Department of Defense on Monday, seeking to block the deployment of federal troops. Newsom has also accused Trump and Hegseth of trying to use the assets to help ICE conduct raids. A judge has set a hearing for the matter for Thursday.
Gavin Newsom speech last night
California leaders and the Trump administration remained in a tense standoff as Newsom accused the president of "pulling a military dragnet all across Los Angeles, well beyond his stated intent to just go after violent and serious criminals."
The Democratic governor has said in recent days that Trump acted like a "dictator" by deploying federal troops without his consent, and compared the administration to authoritarian regimes for targeting vulnerable people. Newsom reiterated Tuesday that Trump "chose escalation."
Trump's "agents are arresting dishwashers, gardeners, day laborers, and seamstresses. That's just weakness. Weakness masquerading as strength," Newsom said.
Trump has called Newsom "grossly incompetent" and suggested the governor should be arrested. The president has also insisted that service members deployed to California are "defending the republic itself" and helping the administration "liberate" the city of Los Angeles.
On Tuesday, Trump said from the White House that he planned to respond to any protests, including against his June 14 military parade, with "force."
Were there riots in LA last night?
Protests in Los Angeles were relatively peaceful when they began on Friday, but escalated into scenes of chaos, with electric vehicles lit aflame, large clouds of tear gas and clashes between law enforcement and demonstrators. Bass countered with the curfew, which she said she expects will last for several days.
The curfew does not apply to residents who live in the designated area, people experiencing homelessness, credentialed media, or public safety and emergency personnel, according to Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell. The police chief noted that there has been an escalation of "unlawful and dangerous behavior" since Saturday.
Trump has called the behavior "riots."
Experts say while there are legal definitions for a riot, the term has become increasingly politicized and encapsulates a wide variety of incidents. In most states including California, the key determinator lies in whether multiple people are involved and whether they are committing acts of violence, Brian Higgins, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, said.
"One person is not a riot and neither is a group that is nonviolent," he said. "They can even be breaking the law, like refusing to disperse. It's when you add in the factor of violence that it becomes a riot."
There are some gray areas, he said. Experts also said that while violence is a defining factor in a riot, such violence could be incited by law enforcement. Read more.
Contributing: Reuters