Anti-ICE riots in LA lead to over 200 arrests for curfew violations, Abbott deploys National Guard

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth indicated Wednesday to Congress that the order issued by President Donald Trump on Saturday to bring in the National Guard also sought to set a precedent that would allow this strategy to be applied in other states.

"So part of it is getting ahead of a problem, so that if in other places, if there are other riots in places where law enforcement officers are threatened, we would have the capability to surge National Guard there if necessary," Hegseth said.

Los Angeles District Attorney Nathan Hochman also reported that two men were arrested on charges of possession of an unregistered explosive device after allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails at police officers in Paramount and downtown Los Angeles.

U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bill Essayli said authorities are collecting videos, photos and body camera footage to identify others who may have committed acts of violence during protests in Los Angeles this weekend.

"We're coming after all these people, so let's be clear this is the beginning, not the end," he said at a news conference today.

Violent protests that began Sunday in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigration raids have spread to multiple cities across the country, including Austin, Texas; San Francisco and Chicago.

Since the start of the unrest, the Trump administration has stated that it will continue to conduct raids and deport illegal immigrants.

Actor Jon Voight lashed out at California Governor Gavin Newsom, calling him a "fool" for "allowing destruction" to sweep Los Angeles in the anti-ICE riots. He also rejected the Democrat's holding Trump responsible for the situation.

"You’re a fool blaming Trump! ... What are you doing for this destruction of these animals destroying Los Angeles? Are you there, talking calmly with them, you fool? They would burn you down like they’re burning the cars and the American flag, with no regard for humanity. This is not about Trump. This is about protecting the people from these animals and criminals trying to destroy us," he said in a video posted on social media.

Also, Voight stressed that agents cannot stand idly by while vandals assault them.

"You’re nothing but a lying dog for the hopes of becoming the president one day, and God is my witness, truth will prevail because of your faults and your incompetence for California’s failure," Voight said.

Donald Trump got an early start on his new string of attacks against Gavin Newsom. In two posts on Truth Social, the president accused the California governor of being "incompetent" for not being able to ensure the safety of ICE agents in their fight against criminal illegal immigrants.

He then continued to boast about his leadership despite protests from Democrats:

The curfew imposed by Mayor Karen Bass expired at 6 a.m. According to police, the night has been relatively calm thanks to this measure and the call for calm from religious leaders.

Speaker Mike Johnson assured during a press conference that he won't get into the legal debate over whether California Governor Gavin Newsom should be jailed for interfering with ICE raids, but he did make it clear that the Democrat should be "tarred and feathered":

"I’m not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested, but he ought to be tarred and feathered, I’ll say that. He’s standing in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law. He is applauding the bad guys and standing in the way of the good guys. He’s a participant, an accomplice, in our federal law enforcement agents being not just disrespected, but assaulted. This is a serious problem."

The Golden State governor was quick to respond with sarcasm, noting in a post on X:

An Insider Adventage poll indicated that an overwhelming majority of voters support the National Guard deployment to Los Angeles ordered by President Trump. According to the poll, 59% of respondents favored the initiative, 20% more than those who reject the military's arrival in California.

ICE's Twitter account posted an image to report that it has not stopped operations to capture illegal immigrants in L.A. despite the unrest. But what has drawn attention are the photos that accompany the post, which show several ICE agents escorted by heavily armed National Guard members.

Several Democratic Los Angeles councilmembers engaged in a bitter dispute with Police Chief Jim McDonnell over the performance of his officers during the riots, criticizing their use of rubber balls, and especially their collaboration with federal officials.

The city council president went so far as to chastise the police officer for calling ICE personnel "law enforcement partners": "If we know somebody is coming here to do warrant-less abductions of the residents of this city, those are not our partners. I don’t care what badge they have on or whose orders they’re under. They’re not our partners.”

McDonnell, far from being intimidated, noted that: "All of the crimes we investigate potentially could be in partnership with federal agencies. It is a partnership, and without that partnership, we wouldn’t be able to go into the World Cup, the Olympics ... that require that we work with federal, state and local partners."

A demonstration with thousands of people in the streets of New York ended with at least 80 people being arrested when it degenerated into altercations with the police. It exploded when vandals began shouting and throwing objects at the deployed officers.

Many of those arrested were charged with disorderly conduct. The number of detainees will increase as the police are still completing the final count.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced the deployment of the National Guard amid escalating unrest in the state in response to ICE raids:

Los Angeles Governor Gavin Newsom criticized President Donald Trump in a televised speech Tuesday for deploying the National Guard to the city, directly blaming him for the violent protests that have erupted since last Friday.

"He again chose escalation; he chose more force. He chose theatrics over public safety—he federalized another 2,000 Guard members. He deployed more than 700 active U.S. Marines. These are men and women trained in foreign combat, not domestic law enforcement. We honor their service. We honor their bravery. But we do not want our streets militarized by our own Armed Forces. Not in L.A. Not in California. Not anywhere."

Governor Gavin Newsom escalated tensions with President Donald Trump on Tuesday amid the fifth consecutive day of unrest in Los Angeles sparked by protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. Meanwhile, social unrest continues to grow, with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reporting nearly 200 arrests on Tuesday alone for rioting, looting, and obstruction of public order.

From the initial protests against ICE raids in California to the violent escalation and political fallout, follow all the key developments from the first few days here.