"Los Angeles protests arrests federal deployments National Guard"

Description: Los Angeles sees hundreds arrested amid escalating protests against federal immigration raids. Pete Hegseth discusses more troop deployments as tensions rise between federal and state authorities. Get the latest updates on LA protests, National Guard presence, and the political fallout.

Los Angeles has been gripped by a week of intense LA protests following stepped-up federal immigration raids, leading to hundreds arrested in LA and a significant deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines. The escalating situation has drawn sharp criticism from California officials and ignited a fresh political battle with the Trump administration over federal deployments.

Since LA protests erupted last Friday in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, nearly 400 people have been arrested in Los Angeles. This includes approximately 330 undocumented migrants and 157 individuals arrested for assault and obstruction, with federal prosecutors charging two men for throwing Molotov cocktails at police during the Los Angeles arrests. The initial immigration raids in LA targeted various locations, including the city's fashion district.

In a contentious move, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the administration's decision to deploy over 4,000 National Guard troops in LA and 700 Marines to Los Angeles, despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass. During a heated congressional hearing, Hegseth stated the troops were necessary to "protect federal agents as they do their jobs" and suggested that the use of military assets within the U.S. will continue to expand. He emphasized the need to "maintain law and order on behalf of law enforcement agents who deserve to do their job without being attacked by mobs of people." Hegseth also hinted at a "new phase" where the National Guard and Reserves become a "critical component" of homeland security, signaling more troop deployments in LA.

The federal troop deployment, estimated to cost $134 million for a 60-day period, has been met with bipartisan frustration in Congress, with lawmakers questioning the cost and the legal basis for the intervention under the Posse Comitatus Act. While troops are generally prohibited from policing U.S. citizens, the Trump administration has left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, which allows such actions.

LA Mayor Karen Bass has declared a local emergency and imposed an overnight curfew in a one-square-mile section of downtown Los Angeles, citing vandalism and looting during the ongoing Los Angeles protests. She criticized the federal deployment as "chaotic escalation" that "provoked" residents and suggested Los Angeles was "part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in taking over power from a local government." California Governor Gavin Newsom has also filed an emergency motion in federal court to block the troops from assisting with immigration raids in LA, calling the deployment an "illegal" and "brazen abuse of power."

Despite the widespread protests in Los Angeles, which have spread to other major U.S. cities, ICE operations have continued throughout Los Angeles County. The demonstrations have largely been peaceful, although some clashes have involved protestors throwing objects and police using crowd control projectiles and rubber bullets. Several officers and journalists have reported injuries. As the situation remains fluid, tensions between federal and state authorities show no signs of de-escalation, leaving many to wonder about the long-term implications for civil liberties and federal-state relations, particularly concerning LA arrests and Hegseth's deployment remarks. Stay tuned for further LA protest updates.