The 1992 Rodney King Riots. The 1965 Watts Uprising. 

Los Angeles, like many times in its history, erupted into a mass series of protests which have drawn global attention.

These protests have escalated due to the deployment of California’s national guards, media portrayal, and fiery exchange between governmental officials. Amid the unrest, California’s residents continue to question what’s truly unfolding in Los Angeles, and wonder what the future holds.

The Spark

From the start of Trump’s presidency, he made it clear that his administration would crack down on immigration and national border affairs. The Official White House confirms that the reasoning behind his immigration efforts included “preserving” national security, as well as “fixing” the faults of the previous Biden Administration. The Trump Administration’s agenda sought to enforce deportation in democratically-run cities, including Chicago, New York, and namely, Los Angeles. Within these cities especially, ICE officers aimed to capture 3,000 immigrants per day, majority of which were of latino background (The Guardian).

However, the actual action of removing “unlawful aliens” isn’t the issue, but rather the manner as to how ICE is arresting immigrants.

Aggressive ICE arrests have continued to evoke fear by brutally tearing families apart, and raiding the homes of hard workers across various industries. Although an initial pause was placed on ICE raids in farms and hotels, violent ICE activity persists in these areas (The Guardian). Furthermore, ICE has appeared in areas of entertainment and education, including schools across the LAUSD sector and Dodgers Stadium. Although ICE was denied entry, the fear among immigrant communities remains prominent. 

In addition to brutality, these mass deportations are entirely unconstitutional. According to Constitution Annotated, the constitution allows for due process for ALL people within the United States, including illegal aliens. However, many individuals in these immigration centers have not received any due process at all because they could not defend themselves without an attorney (which is not provided to them).

Life in detention centers also remains a concern. A senior researcher in mass incarceration, Nazish Dholaki reports that immigration detention centers have inhumane conditions, where individuals face “physical, verbal, and sexual abuse”. There is also excessive neglect leading to an unfathomable amount of deaths, as well as children being unjustly stripped from their guardians. If not convincing enough, Dholaki also finds that individuals in ICE detention centers have reported “being left on a bus, chained for hours, without food, water, or a toilet; others have said they were told by guards to urinate on the floor.” 

The Flame

Since early June, various anti-ICE protests have hit the ground running across Los Angeles, and much of the rest of the United States. A variety of demonstrations took place, the majority of which were peaceful, exemplifying the public outrage to Trump’s policies. In particular, on June 14th, a “No Kings” protest sparked throughout the U.S. The initiative, aiming to defy corruption and the kingly figure Trump has sought to become, garnered millions of followers protesting the Trump Administration’s policies.

The administration’s response to these protests has been highly controversial and remains a major source of public outrage. Los Angeles, in particular, has carried much of the burden.

The cause of such backlash began with violent protesters attacking officers by throwing concrete, rocks, and other items at them during the night. Fires were set, and windows were shattered in the areas surrounding federal buildings, including Los Angeles’s detention center.

The response from Trump?

"BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!"

This, in turn, is what ensued.

On June 8, President Trump reacted by deploying California’s national guard to clean up the riots in place. Various federal agents continued to arrest immigrants, while protesters were also detained at demonstration sites. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass also responded by initiating a curfew from 10 PM to 6 AM, which was later withdrawn on June 17. With these combined efforts, the violent demonstrations started to wither, facilitating the rise of a new conflict: a heated argument between California Governor Gavin Newsom and President Trump. 

The deployment of the National Guard prompted Newsom to file a lawsuit against the Trump Administration and post strongly-worded statements on X (formerly known as Twitter). Newsom would write that "The Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying [the National Guard] onto American streets so Trump can have a talking point at his parade this weekend. It's a blatant abuse of power." Various spiteful words were fired back and forth between him and Trump, including Trump's pioneered nickname “Newscum” in response to Newsom’s claims of authoritarianism and martial law. Although these immature remarks gained popularity on TikTok and X, the tensions eventually subsided. Newsom, as well as Bass, would overall argue that Trump’s actions were focused on his own political agenda over public safety. 

What Next?

The future of post-protest Los Angeles now hinges on a resolution that was passed by the House condemning the riots. Although nearly 200 House Democrats opposed the resolution, its passage allows the federal government to intervene under the guise of restoring peace while maintaining safety among communities and ICE agents.

However, do not let this condemnation discourage you. This movement has the potential to extend nationally and drive meaningful change. Such change is essential to address the harmful actions of an unjust president who must be held accountable, especially during times of political instability. As young people, particularly those living near Los Angeles, we now recognize the full extent of our collective power and potential.