Repression of protests against immigration policy becomes chaos in Los Angeles

A wave of protests against US migratory policy has taken over Los Angeles since last Friday night (6). The demonstration, which began after the arrest of 44 immigrants in a federal operation, quickly became a confrontation between immigration agents and protesters, leading the Trump government to send two thousand national guard soldiers to the city, openly challenging state leadership.

Police use strength; Local leaders criticize operations

According to G1The protests were detonated by an operation of the US immigration and customs service that arrested dozens of people, reinforcing the aggressive pattern of Trump management, which was already promoting an average of 600 arrests per day in the first hundred days of government.

The population’s response was immediate. Groups of activists, unions and citizens occupied the city center in a series of acts that quickly climbed. According to CNN Brazilthe Los Angeles police used bombs of moral effect, tear gas and rubber bullets to contain protesters, who resisted prisons and denounced institutional violence.

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Videos on social networks show police with shock clothes immobilizing protesters and advancing against the crowd. The acts were officially declared “illegal meetings”, and LAPD authorized the use of less lethal ammunition. Protesters displayed posters with sayings such as “stop deportations” and “full rights for all immigrants.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called the operation as “total chaos,” while California governor Gavin Newsom accused the federal government of deliberately igniting the spirits. “This action will only increase tensions,” said the Democrat Governor.

Trump imposes military presence and challenges governor

This Saturday (7), ignoring local appeals, President Donald Trump ordered the sending of two thousand National Guard soldiers to the city. The measure, announced as a response to the “illegality that prospered in California,” was taken without the governor’s endorsement, Gavin Newsom, who classified the action as “deliberately inflammatory” and warned of the risk of further intensifying conflicts.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also criticized the federal action. According to her, the sending of troops without coordination with the local authorities compromises the security of the city and undermines the autonomy of the state.

Also read: Will the US become Gilead?

Already Trump used social networks to justify the decision: “If Newsom and the mayor do not do their work, the federal government will intervene and solve the problem, riots and looters, the way it should be solved,” he wrote. The White House stressed that the goal is to “restore order” and ensure the continuity of deportation operations.

The crisis rekindles the debate on the political use of immigration by the White House and deepens the crack between the federal government and states that resist zero tolerance policy. For protesters, the message of course: the struggle for immigrant rights is now also a battle against authoritarianism.

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with agencies