More than 700 Marines awaited deployment in Los Angeles on Wednesday, marking the latest escalation of Donald Trump’s response to the immigration raid protests.
Demonstrations continued for a sixth day after a string of ICE raids on Friday sparked a wave of unrest in LA, with the battalion of Marines set to join 4,000 National Guard troops already mobilized in the city.
The administration is now considering troop deployments to other cities as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement intensify in New York, Chicago, Austin and Denver, an official told the New York Times.
California Governor Gavin Newsom, who claims the presence of troops exacerbates tensions, has asked a judge for an emergency injunction, arguing it is “unlawful.” A hearing is set for Thursday.
LA Mayor Karen Bass placed a curfew into effect in a portion of downtown LA in response to looting and vandalism, with the Los Angeles Police Department stating that it made “mass arrests” after the restriction was imposed.
Here, The Independent breaks down what you need to know as LA experiences its fifth day of unrest.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers conducted search warrants at multiple locations on Friday.
One search was executed outside a clothing warehouse in the Fashion District after a judge found probable cause that the employer was using fictitious documents for some of its workers, according to representatives for Homeland Security Investigations and the U.S Attorney’s Office.
Crowds tried to stop ICE agents from driving away following the arrests.
Another protest was sparked outside a federal building in downtown LA, after demonstrators discovered detainees were allegedly being held in the basement of the building.
Protests then erupted in Paramount after it appeared federal law enforcement officers were conducting another immigration operation in the area. The protests also spread to the nearby city of Compton. LA County Sheriff Robert Luna stated that as many as 400 people were involved in the demonstration.
The ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrests of 118 immigrants this week, including 44 people in Friday’s operations, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The arrests led to protesters gathering outside a federal detention center, chanting, “Set them free, let them stay!”
On Saturday, Trump ordered the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard troops to LA.
