AhlulBayt News Agency: Los Angeles officials have imposed a curfew in the city’s downtown area in response to ongoing protests sparked by aggressive immigration raids, which have now spread to multiple cities.
The curfew on Tuesday marked the fifth night of unrest, as President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of hundreds of U.S. Marines to Los Angeles, escalating tensions in the nation’s second-largest city. As the curfew approached, hundreds of demonstrators gathered, raising their hands and chanting “peaceful protest.”
Trump’s decision to send National Guard troops and Marines to suppress protests over his immigration policies has fueled public outrage, triggering demonstrations in several other cities. Despite opposition from local and state officials, he has dispatched over 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles.
Law enforcement reported that many protest groups remained on the streets beyond the curfew, leading to “mass arrests.” Authorities confirmed that 197 people were arrested on Tuesday alone—more than doubling the previous total.
Political leaders have voiced alarm over the unfolding crisis, describing it as the most intense flashpoint in Trump’s campaign to deport migrants while cracking down on opposition protests. California Governor Gavin Newsom condemned the response, accusing Trump of inflaming an already volatile situation. “He again chose escalation. He chose more force. He chose theatrics over public safety. … Democracy is under assault,” Newsom stated in a video address.
Protests have expanded nationwide, with demonstrations taking place in Dallas, Austin, Chicago, and New York, where police made multiple arrests.
Trump has hinted at invoking the Insurrection Act, a rarely used presidential power allowing military deployment to quell civil unrest. “If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We’ll see,” he remarked from the Oval Office.
His rhetoric has drawn strong criticism. In a speech at Fort Bragg, Trump referred to protesters as “animals” and “a foreign enemy.” Meanwhile, Newsom dismissed Trump’s claims that Los Angeles would be “burning to the ground” without military intervention, calling it an extreme overreaction to largely peaceful demonstrations.
Newsom and other state officials have accused Trump of deliberately escalating tensions for political motives, arguing that his actions are making local law enforcement efforts more difficult. Journalist Jean Guerrero, writing for The New York Times, asserted that Trump’s strategy aims to provoke violent reactions to distract from the humanitarian crisis caused by mass deportations.
The deployment of active-duty military for civil disturbances is highly unusual. Senator Jack Reed, ranking Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed deep concern. “Since our nation’s founding, the American people have been perfectly clear: we do not want the military conducting law enforcement on U.S. soil,” he stated.
As unrest continues to spread, critics warn that California may be only the beginning, with other states likely to follow. The escalating situation raises questions about civil liberties, presidential authority, and the future of immigration policy in the U.S.
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