The vibrant city of Los Angeles descended into chaos as protests over aggressive immigration raids spiraled into riots. The unrest happens to be the city’s worst civil disturbances since the 1992 Rodney King riots. The protests escalated over three days. Unlike the racially charged 1992 riots, that claimed around 63 lives and saw $1 billion in damages, the 2025 protests are smaller and more localized, confined to a five-block stretch of downtown. Centered around downtown Los Angeles and nearby areas like Paramount and Compton, the protests were accompanied by vandalism, looting, and attacks on law enforcement officers.
The riots spread following Immigration and Customs Enforcement (also known as ICE) raids that targeted workplaces like a subsidiary of Home Depot in Westlake, an apparel manufacturer in the Fashion District. Dozens of undocumented immigrants were detained and by midday Protesters, from labor unions, immigrant rights groups to local residents, filled the streets.Chants of “ICE out of LA!” and “No justice, no peace, no ICE on our streets!” echoed through downtown LA, a city where 34% of residents are foreign born.
The ICE raids are a part of Trump’s pledge for the ‘biggest deportation operation’ in U.S. history. Demonstrators, numbering in the thousands, blocked the 101 Freeway, set personal vehicles on fire and clashed with law enforcement who made use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and flash-bangs to dispel crowd. Over 100 arrests have been made including union leader David Huerta, who’s arrest was the catalyst for the angry mob. The latino community in particular were a huge presence in the protests.
Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard troops invoking a rare federal law. An additional 2000 and 700 Marines followed later on. He cited ‘rebellion’ against U.S. authority as the reason for that step. The move was sharply condemned by Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass who dubbed jt ‘unlawful’ and ‘inflammatory’. It also bypassed California’s consent, a rare step that has not been taken since 1965 Watts riots.
