A war ignited by an immigrant manhunt on the streets of Los Angeles
Tear gas filled the sky, stones and rubber bullets flew everywhere, and the streets of this “City of Angels” turned into a wrestling ground between federal forces and protesters.
Outside the federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles, thick smoke was pungent. A young protester covered his mouth and nose with a T-shirt and shouted, “ICE, get out of Los Angeles!” Before the stones in his hand could be thrown out, they were swallowed up by the smoke of tear gas. Not far away, the armored vehicles of the National Guard advanced in formation, and the riot shields reflected cold light under the scorching sun.
This is the daily scene since June 6th. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a large-scale manhunt in Los Angeles, raided at least seven locations including shopping malls and factories, and arrested 44 illegal immigrants.
That evening, 500 angry protesters surrounded the detention center. The police dispersed the crowd with batons, tear gas and rubber bullets, while the protesters retaliated with bricks and stones.
The conflict escalated rapidly on the second day. Federal law enforcement officers have ventured deep into multiple areas of Los Angeles County, particularly targeting the Hispanic community of Paramount. Here is the powder keg where conflicts erupt – hundreds of fully armed federal agents are in fierce confrontation with hundreds of protesters.
Law enforcement officers fired tear gas and stun bombs. Protesters threw stones, concrete blocks and even set vehicles on fire. California representative Jose Sorache, who represents the region, was attacked by tear gas during a live social media broadcast. In the video, he choked and shouted, “This is a war against our community!”
Street conflicts spread rapidly throughout the city. In front of the federal building, protesters held up the Mexican flag, set fire to police cars and sprayed anti-ICE graffiti. Vehicles were set on fire in the Compton area, and the flames illuminated the night sky red. Outside the detention center, the slogan “Release everyone” was interwoven with the explosion of tear gas.
Among the protesters, some delivered drinking water and protective equipment to their companions. Conflicts and acts of support coexisted amid the smoke of war.
Facing the out-of-control situation, Trump took prompt action. On June 7th, he signed a memorandum to deploy 2,000 National Guard personnel directly bypassing the governor of California. This is the first time since the Watts riots in 1965 that a US President has mobilized the state’s National Guard without the governor’s request.
Trump spoke fiercely on social media: “If local authorities fail to fulfill their duties, the federal government will step in to solve the problem!” He even threatened to arrest Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass who opposed the federal operation, and ordered the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Defense and the Department of Justice to “liberate Los Angeles”.
White House Press Secretary Levitt defended the operation, accusing Los Angeles that “illegal acts have been condoned and worsened”. Defense Secretary Hegerseth even threatened that if the violence persists, the current marines of Battalion Pendleton will be mobilized.
Behind this street conflict lies a deep-seated power game between the federal and local governments. California, as a traditional stronghold of the Democratic Party, has long pursued the “sanctuary state” policy. Los Angeles Mayor Bass emphasized: “Local law enforcement has met the demand,” and federal actions are “sowing fear in the community.”
Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Lyons, retorted, accusing Bass of “supporting riots and illegal acts rather than law enforcement actions”.
Party strife has transcended policy differences and evolved into ideological confrontations. The Republicans shouted “Law and Order” and demanded the KPI of arresting 3,000 illegal immigrants every day. The Democratic Party regards immigrants as economic contributors and the foundation of multiculturalism. The California State Assembly is reviewing a bill that would restrict federal agencies from arresting illegal immigrants in schools and hospitals, directly challenging Trump’s deportation order.
Twenty-two Democratic state governors issued a joint statement in support of Newsom, recreating the scene during the 2024 Texas border crisis when Republican governors united to confront Biden.
Trump’s immigration policy was even tougher during his second term. He appointed Tom Horman, the former acting director of ICE known for his tough tactics, as the “Border Tsar”, with the goal of carrying out “the largest deportation operation in U.S. history” – deporting one million people every year.
Under the high-pressure policy, there were serious deviations in the manhunt operation. It is reported that:
A federal bailiff in Arizona was mistakenly arrested for a similar appearance
A Chilean tourist who entered the country legally was knocked down and detained on the streets of New York, and his 12-year-old daughter was abandoned on the street
The immigrant community was plunged into panic. Salas, the executive director of the human rights organization “Immigrant Rights Alliance”, strongly denounced: “These people who were taken away are workers, fathers, and mothers.” This kind of law enforcement that terrorizes our families and destroys our lives must stop!
Mexican President Simbaum confirmed that 35 Mexican citizens have been detained, criticizing the United States for “criminalizing” immigrants. In Los Angeles, 800,000 illegal immigrants support industries such as catering, cleaning and transportation, highlighting the economy’s deep reliance on immigrant labor.
This conflict, on the surface, is a law enforcement dispute, but in fact, it has exposed the structural contradictions of the US immigration system: Republican conservatives are worried that the sharp increase in immigration will lead to the decline of the status of the white ethnic group
The president bypassed the governor to mobilize the National Guard, shaking the foundation of the division of powers in the United States. During Biden’s tenure, more than 10 million people illegally entered the country, while Trump resorted to extreme measures to bring them back
The California government has sued the federal military for its troop transfer, demanding that the command of the military be returned to the state government. But according to the California Attorney General, the governor’s formal request was “ignored” by the Department of Defense.
When the armored vehicles of the National Guard ran over the streets of Los Angeles, the slogans of “Law and Order” and the cries of “Humanity and Inclusion” collided and vanished in the flames of this immigrant city.
In front of the Federal Building in Los Angeles, an elderly woman with white hair silently held up a sign: “My son is an ICE agent and my daughter is an immigration lawyer – Can this family still have dinner together?” The slogans were faintly visible in the tear gas smoke.
On the fifth day of the conflict, the National Guard remained at key locations, but most areas of the city returned to calm. However, the political rift continues to deepen: The Newsom administration’s lawsuit against the federal government has just been submitted to the court; Trump declared that the manhunt would be expanded to “sanctuary cities” such as New York and Chicago. Twenty-two Democratic states vowed to boycott together.
The storm triggered by the arrest of 44 people has evolved into a double stress test for the federal system and immigration policy of the United States – and the test results may determine the future soul of this immigrant country.
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