Demonstrations against former President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration policies spread across the United States on Wednesday, despite a military-backed crackdown in Los Angeles and Trump’s threats to use “heavy force” against protesters.
Los Angeles, the epicenter of the unrest since it began last Friday, remained relatively calm Wednesday following an overnight curfew that restricted access to the downtown area.
Authorities reported about 25 arrests overnight for curfew violations. Police maintained a strong presence around government buildings, while businesses boarded up storefronts in anticipation of further unrest.
Protester Lynn Sturgis, a 66-year-old retired teacher, described the scene as calm, countering the narrative pushed by Trump: “Our city is not at all on fire, it’s not burning down, as our terrible leader is trying to tell you.”
Roughly 1,000 of the 4,700 troops ordered to Los Angeles by Trump were actively deployed, supporting federal immigration officers, according to Army North Deputy Commander Scott Sherman.
The remainder including 700 Marines—were undergoing civil disturbance training. The deployment is expected to cost taxpayers $134 million.
The demonstrations, largely peaceful, were sparked by an intensified effort to detain undocumented migrants.
Isolated acts of violence—such as burning self-driving taxis and clashes with police—prompted authorities to respond with tear gas and other crowd-control measures.
Trump, who campaigned on a hardline immigration platform and returned to office following last year’s election, is leveraging the crisis for political gain.
He ordered the California National Guard to intervene despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom, marking a rare presidential override of state authority.
“If our troops didn’t go into Los Angeles, it would be burning to the ground right now,” Trump claimed on social media.
At a press briefing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed his message, saying, “President Trump will never allow mob rule to prevail in America.”
Governor Newsom accused Trump of exploiting the unrest: “Democracy is under assault right before our eyes,” he said in a televised address Tuesday.
“California may be first, but it clearly won’t end here.”
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Protesters remained undeterred. Thousands marched in cities like New York and Chicago on Tuesday night, and more demonstrations were planned in Seattle, Las Vegas, and San Antonio.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, a Republican, announced the deployment of his state’s National Guard ahead of a protest in San Antonio.
A nationwide “No Kings” movement is scheduled for Saturday, coinciding with Trump’s planned military parade in Washington, D.C., marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army—and his 79th birthday.
Trump warned that protests during the parade would be met with “very heavy force.” The last major military parade in the capital took place in 1991 after the Gulf War.
The Trump administration has portrayed the protests as a threat to national security, justifying the use of military support for immigration enforcement.
On Tuesday, Trump described the situation as a “full-blown assault on peace, public order, and national sovereignty” by a “foreign enemy.”
Critics, including Democratic leaders and immigrant rights groups, argue the crisis is manufactured. “Trump has gone well beyond targeting violent criminals,” said Newsom. “His agents are arresting dishwashers, gardeners, day laborers, and seamstresses.”
Footage obtained on Wednesday showed federal agents in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, ramming a car, deploying a smoke device, and detaining a man at gunpoint in front of his shaken family an incident emblematic of the growing tension between Trump’s enforcement tactics and public outcry.
