The spark was ignited by what Trump called “the largest deportation operation in history.” On June 6, U.S. federal law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), conducted raids in Los Angeles targeting undocumented immigrants. Hundreds of protesters gathered to express their anger, dissatisfaction, and opposition to the arrests.
In the days that followed, tensions quickly escalated, and the protests evolved into violent clashes between civilians and law enforcement.
Officers in riot gear demonstrated their “temperature” of enforcement by using batons, rubber bullets, flashbangs, pepper balls, tear gas, and pepper spray. Protesters responded with graffiti and slogans insulting Trump, along with eggs, plastic bottles, glass bottles, bricks, Molotov cocktails, and fireworks.
One of the most widely circulated videos online showed several Google autonomous taxis in flames. Protesters smashed windows, slashed tires, sprayed graffiti, and set the vehicles on fire. High-tech products became targets, perhaps because their 360-degree surveillance cameras could record incriminating evidence.
A key turning point in the unrest was President Trump’s controversial move.
Defying objections from California and Los Angeles officials, Trump deployed the National Guard and U.S. Marines to the region. The war of words between the president and the governor escalated rapidly, with both sides trading insults and accusations on television and social media. Trump called the governor “incompetent,” while the governor accused the president of abusing his power and deliberately pouring fuel on an already volatile situation.
A protest against deportations had transformed into a political battleground, with both sides attempting to capitalize on the moment for their own gain.
The Origin of the Conflict
California is home to the largest immigrant population in the United States, including approximately 2.6 million undocumented immigrants—24% of the national total.
In 2018, California passed the California Values Act, becoming the first state in U.S. history to officially offer sanctuary to undocumented immigrants. This sanctuary status strictly limits local law enforcement from using personnel, funds, or resources to assist federal agencies in matters such as investigation, interrogation, detention, surveillance, or arrest related to immigration.
In other words, in California, the burden of enforcing immigration laws falls entirely on the federal government, without local assistance.
The state legislature also granted undocumented immigrants privileges not available elsewhere, including access to driver’s licenses, healthcare, in-state tuition, and certain economic assistance. Those not convicted of serious crimes were protected from deportation.
This law went into effect during Trump’s first term. He promptly sued the state, triggering intense legal battles between California and the White House. Trump also threatened to cut federal funding to jurisdictions that provided sanctuary to undocumented immigrants.
Later, Los Angeles declared itself a sanctuary city and codified this status through city council legislation. The city actively protected its immigrant population from Trump’s deportation policies and prohibited the use of city resources for federal immigration enforcement.
After returning to the White House this year, Trump again threatened to withhold federal funds from California and local governments that refused to cooperate with his deportation agenda. At the end of May, the Department of Homeland Security released a list of jurisdictions obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws, including over 500 cities, counties, and states—California, Los Angeles, and Long Beach among them.
Trump had repeatedly promised to deport “millions” of undocumented immigrants. To achieve that, he would have to exceed President Obama’s monthly deportation average. In 2013, Obama deported more than 35,000 individuals per month. But in the early months of Trump’s new term, deportations were slower: 11,000 in February, 12,000 in March, and 17,000 in April.
Despite mobilizing multiple federal agencies in joint operations, Trump remained dissatisfied with the pace of deportations.
Such raids easily spark backlash in sanctuary cities. In Los Angeles, federal officers conducted surprise raids at day laborer gathering spots and garment stores, arresting large numbers of people. This triggered street protests. Trump also began to suspect that the escalation of protests was being incited or condoned by California and Los Angeles authorities.
Political Capital
This was the confrontation Trump and fellow Republicans had long anticipated: a head-on clash in overwhelmingly Democratic California over a core policy issue, pitting him against a major political rival and highlighting a central plank of his agenda.
On the afternoon of the second day of protests, Trump described the situation in Los Angeles as “lawless” and a threat to national security, ordering 2,000 National Guard troops to the city. The number soon doubled to 4,000, and an additional 700 Marines were mobilized and stationed nearby.
Some media outlets observed that Trump’s military deployment provoked a new wave of discontent and protest.
The Economist wrote: “The president and his aides believe deploying the National Guard to California is politically justified. Their playbook is clear: launch an immigration crackdown in a city that resists such efforts, wait for protests to erupt, then send in the troops to suppress them. This is meant both to intimidate other defiant cities and to signal to loyal supporters that Trump is delivering on his promises.”
In the United States, the National Guard operates under a dual federal-state structure. State governors may command their own Guard units, but the president can federalize them in certain circumstances. Traditionally, the president seeks the governor’s consent before such deployments.
This time, however, Trump bypassed the governor and invoked a rarely used statute to authorize the National Guard’s deployment. California Governor Gavin Newsom strongly objected, saying, “Local law enforcement doesn’t need help. The president is manufacturing a crisis.” He filed a lawsuit accusing Trump of illegally deploying the National Guard.
On June 13, a federal judge ruled Trump’s deployment unlawful and ordered him to return control of the Guard to California. The Trump administration appealed. Later that evening, an appellate court temporarily suspended the ruling, allowing Trump to maintain the deployment during the appeal process.
Though politically polar opposites, both Newsom and Trump are media-savvy. Trump said Newsom was “a nice guy, but hopelessly incompetent—everybody knows it.” When Trump’s cabinet members threatened to arrest Newsom for obstructing enforcement, the governor responded defiantly on camera, saying, “Get it over with. Come and arrest me. Do it.”
Trump used military deployment and verbal attacks to rally his base, while Newsom seized the opportunity to amplify his voice through social media and public speeches. Their war of words generated political benefits for both. Newsom’s TikTok follower count doubled in a few days.
Following devastating wildfires in January, Newsom had momentarily softened his tone in hopes of securing federal aid. But the underlying antagonism remained—on issues like climate change, immigration, and tariffs. Trump recently slashed $4 billion in high-speed rail funding for California and overturned the state’s electric vehicle mandates. California has filed at least 22 lawsuits against the Trump administration. Newsom was the first governor to sue Trump after the trade war began.
Many observers believe this unrest has elevated Newsom’s profile within a somewhat dispirited Democratic Party, making him a likely contender for the 2028 presidential race. By defining himself in opposition to Trump and embracing the “anti-Trump” label, Newsom is accruing valuable political capital.
Who Pays the Price?
While politicians benefit from the chaos, someone must bear the cost.
Five Google autonomous vehicles, each worth about $200,000, were burned on the streets of Los Angeles. Shops and infrastructure were also damaged in the violence. One of the largest expenditures came from the federal government: the Pentagon estimated the cost of deploying troops to Los Angeles at approximately $134 million.
June 14 marked Trump’s 79th birthday and the 250th anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Army.
The military parade was expected to cost between $25 million and $45 million. That day also saw 1,800 anti-Trump protests across the country.
So far, there is no indication that Trump’s immigration policy will undergo significant changes. In a recent speech, he did admit that his policies were hurting the agriculture and hospitality industries. He posted on social media: “Change is coming.”
But not long after that speech, his tone shifted back. He wrote on social media: “Polls show massive support for deporting illegal immigrants. That’s what we’re doing.”
Street protests have not altered the president’s immigration agenda.
A study by the University of Southern California found that in 2021, undocumented immigrants contributed nearly $18 billion to the Los Angeles County economy. Trump’s deportation efforts are changing the social fabric, impacting labor-intensive industries such as construction, food processing, and food services. Small businesses and subcontractors fear labor shortages and rising costs.
The Port of Los Angeles is a critical hub—the busiest container port in the U.S. The Los Angeles Times reported that due to Trump’s tariff policies, the port handled 25% less cargo than expected in May. Nearly half of the port’s dockworkers have been unemployed for the past two weeks.
Los Angeles had a rough start to the year. In January, wildfires devastated entire communities, causing an estimated $250 billion in damage. Just last month, some residents began rebuilding. But the tariff war has driven up prices for construction materials like windows and pipes, adding more pressure to recovery efforts.
Of course, the effects of Trump’s policies have already spread far beyond Los Angeles.