Trump: "If the Democratic Governor Fails, the Federal Government Will Intervene"
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops in response to protests against illegal immigrant crackdowns in Los Angeles (LA), California.
According to AFP and other sources on June 7 (local time), White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt stated, "President Trump has signed a presidential memorandum authorizing the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to address the lawlessness that has been left to fester."
A vehicle is on fire amid protests against illegal immigrant crackdowns in Los Angeles, California, USA. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
According to the New York Times (NYT) and other U.S. media, protests in LA have continued for a second consecutive day, with demonstrators opposing the aggressive crackdowns and arrests of illegal immigrants by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
In Paramount, a Hispanic immigrant neighborhood located about 30 kilometers south of downtown LA, hundreds of protesters clashed with immigration authorities. The officers, dressed in riot gear, responded forcefully using rubber bullets and flashbang grenades.
The Associated Press reported that trees and trash were burning in several locations on the streets, and protesters were seen kicking Border Patrol vehicles.
Immigrant advocacy groups claimed that immigration authorities raided a Home Depot store in the Paramount area of LA on the same day as part of their illegal immigrant crackdown. According to major foreign media, Hispanic immigrants were also arrested in LA the previous day during a large-scale ICE operation.
Protesters, in opposition to the authorities' crackdowns, vandalized vehicles and buildings with spray paint. Some protesters threw objects at federal agents, who responded with flashbang grenades.
The NYT, citing officials, reported that the Trump administration arrested approximately 120 people, including illegal immigrants, in the region this week.
Thomas Homan, the Trump administration's border czar, said in a Fox News interview that the administration was considering deploying state troops in response to the protests. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem warned protesters that obstructing immigration enforcement would result in the highest level of legal penalties.
President Trump criticized Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom of California and others on the social media platform Truth Social, saying they were failing to properly quell the protests. He wrote, "If California Governor Gavin Newscom (a derogatory nickname for Newsom) and LA Mayor Karen Bass cannot do their jobs, then the federal government will intervene to resolve the problem?that is, the riots and looters."
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth stated on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "The Department of Defense is immediately mobilizing the National Guard to assist federal law enforcement in LA, and if the violence continues, active-duty Marines from Camp Pendleton will also be deployed."
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