US Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) shared images on Tuesday highlighting the deployment of National Guard soldiers in Los Angeles following a significant immigration protest.
In the images, two police officers were seen handcuffing a man while National Guard soldiers, armed and ready, stood nearby. Both the police and soldiers were equipped with bulletproof vests.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also shared a different perspective on the situation, emphasizing in a post, “This is to protect.”
President Trump deployed a considerable number of National Guard troops to Los Angeles on Saturday to handle escalating citywide protests. These demonstrations were primarily in response to local ICE activities. Although most protests were peaceful, some instances turned destructive, including vandalism of federal buildings, vehicle fires, and looting in the city.
Trump criticized California Governor Gavin Newsom’s handling of the situation, stating that the protests had spiraled out of control and justified his decision to send in troops.
“If our troops hadn’t gone to Los Angeles, it would be burning now, much like many homes earlier this year,” Trump noted in a post that referenced the wildfires in Los Angeles.
He added, “The incredible people of Los Angeles are fortunate that I chose to intervene!”
In response, Newsom accused Trump of making the situation worse. He asserted, “He prioritized spectacle over public safety, sending an additional 2,000 security personnel to the federal level and deploying over 700 Marines—trained for combat, not for local issues.”
“We honor their service, yet our city does not seek military presence; this isn’t California or anywhere else,” he stated.
In light of the unrest, Mayor Karen Bass instituted a curfew in downtown Los Angeles from 8 PM to 6 AM, with 100 National Guard troops stationed outside a federal facility and another 100 sent to a federal site in the Westwood area.
While the soldiers are not authorized to make arrests, they do have the ability to detain individuals for safety reasons.
