US President Donald Trump has vowed to “restore order” and “liberate Los Angeles” from what he described as a “migrant invasion,” amid ongoing protests following widespread immigration raids in the city.
In a statement shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump accused undocumented immigrants and what he called “insurrectionist mobs” of disrupting law enforcement operations. “A once great American city, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals… Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free,” he wrote.
Trump has directed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi to take “all action necessary” to quell the unrest and assist in deportation operations. This includes the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to the city.
The protests erupted after US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE agents conducted coordinated raids, arresting dozens of undocumented immigrants, sparking widespread demonstrations across Los Angeles.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has pushed back against the deployment, insisting that local law enforcement is capable of handling the situation. “I do not believe that is called for… LAPD and other law enforcement agencies can handle things in Los Angeles,” she said.
As of Sunday evening, around 300 National Guard troops had already been stationed in three different parts of the city, CNN reported.
California Governor Gavin Newsom also sharply criticized the federal response, calling it “purposefully inflammatory” and warning that the aggressive federal intervention risked undermining public trust. “Donald Trump’s chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America’s economy,” Newsom said.
The federal deployment has sparked sharp political divisions, raising tensions over immigration enforcement, states’ rights, and the role of federal forces in domestic unrest.