BREAKING: Trump deploys National Guard to Los Angeles amid ICE raids, protests
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — The boots are coming. But for many who have lived in L.A., did they ever really leave?
Late Saturday, the Trump administration formally deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles County, escalating an already volatile crackdown that began with mass ICE raids and quickly spiraled into chaos.
The move comes after two days of unrest, where federal immigration agents fired tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters in Paramount, just south of L.A. Demonstrators were hit with pepper spray, flash-bangs, and barricades after confronting federal agents outside a Home Depot in a working-class Latino neighborhood.
Now, with troops en route, residents are bracing for a deeper confrontation.
Saturday’s standoff followed a series of immigration raids that swept through Los Angeles on Friday.Credit...Eric Thayer/Associated Press
Friday’s ICE operations saw over 120 people arrested, many in early-morning raids across the city. Protesters quickly gathered outside federal buildings and detention centers to demand their release and block processing.
Federal agents responded by escalating force—and now, by calling in military backup.
“We are mobilizing the National Guard to restore order,” said a senior Trump official, according to The New York Times. “The lawlessness in Los Angeles will not be tolerated.”
This marks the first official Guard deployment to Los Angeles in a domestic immigration context in over a decade.
Community leaders are calling the move what it is: a political show of force, timed for headlines.
Many residents compare the moment to 1992, when the Guard was last deployed in full force during the L.A. uprising after the Rodney King verdict. The images from that time—tanks on Crenshaw, helicopters circling homes, soldiers on foot patrol—still haunt families living in those same zip codes today.
The Trump administration says it has the legal authority to deploy troops under federal emergency powers. But critics argue the use of military force for domestic immigration protest response may violate longstanding constitutional protections.
Legal observers expect emergency lawsuits to be filed within 24 hours to challenge the action.
On the ground, organizers are already adapting. Legal observers are tracking movements. Rapid response teams are creating mutual aid hubs and preparing to document detainments and abuses.
Local networks have issued public safety tips, updated “know your rights” resources, and warned families to avoid public demonstrations without coordination, especially in areas near federal buildings and ports of entry.
What’s likely next?
National Guard troops are now being actively deployed into Los Angeles County.
More protests are expected overnight, especially in downtown and South L.A.
Civil rights groups are preparing legal action to challenge the federal order.
BWST will continue to track troop locations, protest response, and community defense networks as the situation evolves.
The National Guard is deploying to Los Angeles. But so are stories like this one. So are cameras. So are witnesses. This is history as it happens, and we all need to recognize that.
Hold the light on what happens next.
Whether it’s flash-bangs or executive orders, we need to keep asking the questions that need to be answered.
 | A guest post by
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This key fact is being overlooked in much of the coverage. By law, before President trump can deploy troops, he’s required to issue a formal proclamation of insurrection under chapter 13 of Title 10 §254.
Chapter 13 of Title 10, § 254 states:
“Whenever the President considers it necessary to use the militia or the armed forces under this chapter, he shall, by proclamation, immediately order the insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their abodes within a limited time.”