Los Angeles has been placed under a curfew after the Trump administration sent both the National Guard and Marines into the city, while protests have erupted in Chicago, Dallas, and New York.
Protests had broken out across Los Angeles after US President Donald Trump ordered ICE raids to remove illegal immigrants from the United States and mobilised 4000 National Guard troops and around 700 marines in response to protests.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a “local emergency” and put areas of the city, mainly downtown Los Angeles, under curfew as of Tuesday night as city officials attempt to curb violent clashes between protesters and LAPD and National Guard — as well as minimise looting and vandalism.
“Law enforcement will arrest individuals who break the curfew and you will be prosecuted,” she warned.
The curfew, which starts at 8pm and ends at 6am, has been set without an end date, with Ms Bass saying: “I will consult with elected leaders and law enforcement officials tomorrow on the continuation of the curfew but we certainly expect for it to last for several days.”
The curfew area covers a 2.5 sqkm area of downtown Los Angeles and will exempt residents who live in the area, individuals experiencing homelessness, media, public safety officers and emergency personnel.
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell added the curfew was needed to “protect lives”.
“The curfew is a necessary measure to protect lives and safeguard property following several consecutive days of growing unrest throughout the city,” he said.
Mr McDonnell said arrested had increased in Los Angeles as protests continued, with 197 people already taken into custody by 6pm on Tuesday.
California Governor Gavin Newsom called for calm and supported to curfew, however, took the opportunity to again criticise Mr Trump.
“This situation was winding down and was concentrated in just a few square blocks downtown,” he said.
“That’s not what Donald Trump wanted. He again chose escalation. He chose more force. He chose theatrics over public safety.
“He federalised another 2000 guard members. He deployed more than 700 active US Marines.
“These are the men and women trained for foreign combat, not domestic law enforcement. We honour their service. We honour their bravery. But we do not want our streets militarised by our own armed forces. Not in LA, not in California, not anywhere.”
“His agents are arresting dishwashers, gardeners, day labourers and seamstresses. That’s just weakness. Weakness masquerading as strength. Donald Trump’s Government isn’t protecting our communities. They’re traumatising our communities.”
Protests spill across United States
In New York, thousands have marched the streets in lower Manhattan to protest Mr Trump’s immigration crackdown.
The protest, which has lasted for several hours, has had traffic at a standstill.
Protesters chanted “ICE out of New York,” as drums were beaten.
Although much of the protests remained peaceful, NYPD were forced to plead with demonstrators at multiple points, telling them they would need to arrest them if the activism escalated or if they broke certain containment lines.
A calm and collected law enforcement officer told the protesters he welcomed their cursing but asked for them not to cross a barricade as arrests would follow.
In Chicago, protests have erupted throughout the city as people demonstrate their anger against Mr Trump’s increased ICE raid operations.
At one point, protesters had trapped a car on a roadway, with the car eventually fighting its way through crowds only narrowly avoiding collisions.
Demonstrators took to the streets and were met with swift police response as the temperature in America raises further.
Arial footage showed the immense scale of the Chicago protesters taking over busy roadways and stopping traffic as the protested ICE operations.
Raids escalate, but Trump warns it is just the beginning
Massive raids have been reported in Omaha, Nebraska, with vision showing people rounded up and restrained. The footage, which has gone viral across social media, shows people escorted from factories before they were moved onto busses.
“More than 100 illegal immigrants were working illegally at Glenn Valley Foods in Omaha,” Ali Bradley wrote on X.
“They were either using fake documents or fraudulently using the identities of US citizens,” she claimed.
Mr Trump on Tuesday warned Americans these raids were the “first of many”.
He warned Americans they should expect to see more large scale ICE operations across the United States.
“We’re moving murderers out of our country who were put here by Biden
“We’re gonna get them out. We’re getting them out.
“We don’t want them. They come from jails, they come from mental institutions.
“We’re not going to let them stay.
“This is the first of perhaps of many.
“I can inform the rest of the country, that when they do it, if they do it, they will be met with equal or greater force. We did a great job.”
More to come…
