Trump orders deployment of National Guard in Los Angeles to suppress protests against immigrant detention

US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops on Saturday to counter escalating protests against law enforcement raids on undocumented immigrants in the Los Angeles area, a move the California governor described as "provocative."

Federal police officers clashed with angry crowds in a Los Angeles suburb as protests continued for a second night on Saturday, with stun grenades being fired, a stretch of highway being closed, and raids on undocumented immigrants reportedly underway.

Fox 11 News reported that the clashes erupted in the Paramount neighborhood after protesters gathered near a large home improvement store frequented by workers for daily services and used as a staging point by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

According to news reports and social media posts, federal police officers wearing gas masks fired stun grenades and tear gas at protesters.

Since taking office in January, Trump has implemented his pledge to crack down on undocumented immigrants, whom he has likened to "monsters" and "animals."

Late Saturday evening, Trump signed a memorandum to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops "to address the chaos that has been allowed to fester," according to a statement from White House spokeswoman Caroline Leavitt.

The spokeswoman emphasized that "the Trump administration has a zero-tolerance policy toward criminal behavior and violence, especially when that violence targets law enforcement officers trying to do their jobs."

About an hour before the White House confirmed the deployment, California Governor Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, expressed his opposition to the move.

"This move is deliberately inflammatory and will only escalate tensions," he wrote on the X platform, adding, "We are in close coordination with the city and county, and there are currently no unmet needs."

The protests came a day after masked Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents raided businesses in various parts of Los Angeles, angering many, who demonstrated and clashed with police for hours.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass acknowledged that some city residents are "frightened" by the actions of the federal immigration agency.

“Everyone has the right to peaceful protest, but let me be clear: violence and destruction are unacceptable, and those responsible will be held accountable,” she said on the X platform.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino announced several arrests following Friday's clashes.

He wrote on the X platform: "You bring chaos, we bring the handcuffs. Law and order will prevail."

On Saturday, amid chants demanding the exit of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, some protesters waved Mexican flags, while others set fire to an American flag, according to the Los Angeles Times.

Cement blocks and overturned shopping carts formed roadblocks.

Authorities later closed side roads to prevent protesters from taking over the highway.

Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and an anti-immigration campaigner, described what is happening in a post on the X platform as "a rebellion against the sovereignty and laws of the United States."

Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States, is one of the most demographically diverse cities in the country.

According to official data, 82% of the population of Paramount, which has a population of approximately 50,000, is of Hispanic or Latino origin.