LA protests live: National Guard arrive across the city as Governor Newsom accuses Trump of trying to create ‘chaos’

The Department of Homeland Security has released more information about “some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal alien” arrested by ICE during its Los Angeles operations.

“Why do Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens?” said Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin, in an accompanying statement.

“These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets. Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer.”

In a statement put out via email Gavin Newsom said that President Trump and Pete Hegseth “want a spectacle” and violence.

“We have been working closely with law enforcement. There is no unmet need. The President is attempting to inflame passions and provoke a response,” he wrote.

“He would like nothing more than for this provocative show of force — and Pete Hegseth’s absurd threat to deploy United States Marines on American soil – to escalate tensions and incite violence.

“They want a spectacle. They want the violence. They think this is good for them politically.”

Newsom added: “This is not the way a civilized country behaves. It is completely deranged behavior.

“Don’t give them the spectacle they want. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully and in large numbers.”

Donald Trump has authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after an immigration crackdown erupted into mass protests on Saturday.

Footage has shown the protesters throwing rocks at law enforcement vehicles and others trying to get in the way of a Marshals Service bus after more than a hundred arrests were made.

Here, the Independent breaks down what you need to know about the unrest in LA.

In a statement on the protests, the American Civil Liberties Union said that Trump’s decision to deploy national guard troops was “recklessly undermining our foundational democratic principle that the military should not police civilians.”

Hina Shamsi, who directs the A.C.L.U.’s National Security Project, called the action “unnecessary, inflammatory, and an abuse of power.”

“The Trump administration is putting Angelenos in danger, creating legal and ethical jeopardy for troops, and recklessly undermining our foundational democratic principle that the military should not police civilians,” she said in a statement overnight, obtained by The New York Times.

The Los Angeles Police Department has made 29 arrests already on Sunday, as the protests continue, a police source confirmed to CBS.

“There are going to be several protests today in the city of Los Angeles. The city and police are monitoring those,” the official said.

The source added that city officials “are supportive of immigrant rights” and described the current situation a “no win” for law enforcement.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says that Donald Trump “does not want a repeat of 2020” and the George Floyd protests, as she defended the president’s decision to deploy 2,000 national guard troops in Los Angeles.

Speaking to CBS’s Face The Nation on Sunday, Noem said the violence in LA would not have happened if California Governor Gavin Newsom was “doing his job.”

The president knows that he makes bad decisions, and that’s why the president chose the safety of this community over waiting for Governor Newsom to get some sanity,” she said.

“And that’s one of the reasons why these National Guard soldiers have been federalized so they can use their special skill set to keep peace. We’re not going to let a repeat of 2020 happen.”

Police led away around 20 anti-ICE protesters in New York, following demonstrations in lower Manhattan.

ABC7 reported that dozens of protesters were out for hours at Federal Plaza on Sunday, calling out concerns about ICE detainments.

Earlier on Sunday, Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino confirmed arrests had been made in New York as well as Los Angeles, warning protesters to “choose wisely.”

The Democratic representative for Paramount, where part of the anti-immigration protests began has said the deployment of the national guard in the city will simply “make things worse.”

Nanette Barragán told CNN’s “State of the Union” that Saturday’s protest had started peacefully, until ICE officers began “doing the tear gas, shooting out pellets.”

“Now you’re talking about bringing in the National Guard to militarize the situation,” she said. “It’s going to get worse. It’s unnecessary again.”

Barragán added that she is being told to prepare for “30 days of ICE enforcement.”

“It’s a concern. I mean, it’s going to escalate the situation,” she said. “People are going to protest because they’re angry about the situation, and we have to just reiterate to people to do it peacefully.”