National Guard troops began arriving in Los Angeles early Sunday on orders from President Donald Trump, following recent clashes between federal immigration authorities and protesters attempting to obstruct deportations.

The deployment saw California’s National Guard staging at the federal complex in downtown Los Angeles, which includes the Metropolitan Detention Center. This location has been a hotspot for confrontations involving hundreds over the past two days.

Trump announced the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to quell what he termed as "a form of rebellion," despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom. According to the Brennan Center for Justice, this marks the first time in decades that a state's National Guard was activated without a governor's request.

Initially, the deployment was confined to a small downtown Los Angeles area, with the rest of the city seeing minimal impact.

Protests began in downtown Los Angeles on Friday and spread to Paramount and Compton, both heavily Latino areas, by Saturday. As federal agents gathered near a Home Depot in Paramount, demonstrators attempted to block Border Patrol vehicles, leading to escalated tensions and responses including tear gas and pepper balls from agents.

The clashes followed a series of immigration sweeps that arrested over 100 individuals. Among the arrested was a prominent union leader accused of hindering law enforcement.

Trump and Newsom reportedly spoke for about 40 minutes on Friday night, though it's unclear if communication continued over the subsequent days. There was also confusion about the timing of the National Guard's arrival, with Trump prematurely congratulating the Guard before their actual presence was confirmed in the city.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the National Guard deployment was to "keep peace and allow people to protest while maintaining law and order." The 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team was among those deployed, equipped with long guns and armored vehicles, as shown in Department of Defense posts.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned of potentially deploying active-duty Marines if violence persisted, signaling a robust administration stance.

Governor Newsom termed Trump's decision a "provocative show of force" likely to escalate tensions and criticized the mention of Marine deployment as "deranged behavior." Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders echoed concerns, describing the move as authoritarian.

Meanwhile, House Speaker Mike Johnson supported Trump's decision, criticizing California Democrats' handling of the situation and suggesting the president's intervention was necessary.

— Offenhartz reported from New York.

National Guard Deployed in LA Following ICE Protests on Trump's Order

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