Govind Tekale
A curfew now covers one square mile of downtown Los Angeles from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. Mayor Karen Bass announced the restriction Tuesday as protests against immigration raids entered their fifth day. The curfew area sits between three freeways – the 5, 110, and 10 – and exempts residents, homeless individuals, media, and emergency personnel.
“I have declared a local emergency and issued a curfew to stop the vandalism, to stop the looting,” Bass said, pointing to 23 businesses looted Monday night.
The turmoil started June 6 when federal immigration agents conducted raids across Los Angeles. They arrested 44 people for suspected immigration violations and one person for obstruction. Governor Newsom described agents jumping from unmarked vans near a Home Depot in a Latino neighborhood and raiding a downtown clothing company.
“They’re arresting dishwashers, gardeners, day laborers, and seamstresses,” Newsom said in a video address. He reported that a pregnant U.S. citizen was arrested and families were separated, including a case involving a four-year-old girl.
The raids sparked immediate protests. While many demonstrators remained peaceful, some blocked freeways, spray-painted buildings, set cars on fire, and clashed with police. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department reported nearly 469 arrests since protests began.
President Trump escalated the situation by deploying about 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles. Initially stationed to protect federal buildings, some Guard members now assist ICE agents with daily operations.
Governor Newsom strongly opposed this military presence, calling it “dangerous and undemocratic” and a “brazen abuse of power.” He filed an emergency court motion to block using federalized military for law enforcement, but a judge scheduled a hearing for Thursday without ruling immediately.
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“This situation was winding down and concentrated in just a few square blocks downtown,” Newsom said. “But that’s not what Donald Trump wanted. He again chose escalation.”
Arrests have grown each night: none Friday, 27 Saturday, 40 Sunday, and 197 Tuesday. Newsom said authorities are reviewing videos to build more cases, warning that those who “incite violence or destroy our communities” will face prosecution.
The unrest has disrupted transportation, with Metro closing nine stations and protesters blocking major freeways.
Similar demonstrations have spread to other cities including New York, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Austin, San Francisco, and Portland.
Bass emphasized that despite dramatic footage, the crisis affects only a small part of the 502-square-mile city. “The vast majority of Los Angeles has not been impacted,” she said.
The curfew was enacted specifically to halt property damage and looting that had reached a “tipping point,” according to Bass. Police Chief McDonnell called it a “necessary measure to protect lives and safeguard property” after “concerning escalation in unlawful and dangerous behavior.”
