As the uprising against immigrant detentions intensifies in Los Angeles, California, demonstrations have also begun in other states.

On Friday and Saturday (June 6-7), federal officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began raiding streets and workplaces across Los Angeles, arresting and preparing to deport undocumented immigrants.

A major raid was conducted at Ambiance Apparel in the Fashion District, and violent clashes involving tear gas and stun grenades occurred between protesters and ICE agents in Paramount, a city southeast of Los Angeles.

Increased law enforcement pressure in the immigrant city of Los Angeles

According to New Yorker reporter E. Tammy Kim, some immigrants who arrived at the federal courthouse in Little Tokyo for registration were taken to the basement and then transported in vans to unknown locations.

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that a nine-year-old elementary school student from Torrance, who was detained after a hearing at the end of May and transferred to a prison in a rural area of Texas, will be deported.

While lawyers were denied access to detainees, it was alleged that workers were being detained “based on their racial appearance.”

One-third of Los Angeles residents were born outside the US, and more than half speak a language other than English at home. Los Angeles is a “sanctuary city” located in a “sanctuary state,” which prohibits local authorities from cooperating with federal immigration officials.

Consequently, when the recent detentions, described by immigrant advocates as “kidnappings” or “disappearances,” spread via text messages and social media, thousands gathered to oppose the activities of federal law enforcement officers from various agencies.

This is how the first clashes between protesters who blocked the freeway and law enforcement began. Police responded with drones, batons, tear gas, and plastic bullets.

Fate of immigrants detained in raids unknown

The families of workers detained in the raid at the Ambiance Apparel warehouse, conducted by armed immigration officers and federal agents, continue their anxious wait.

Immigrants emphasize that they have no information about the status of their detained family members.

For example, according to a report in The Guardian, Yurien Contreras, whose father Mario Romaro was detained, said at a press conference in Los Angeles on Monday morning, “I saw them handcuff my father, chain him by the waist and ankles. My family and I can’t communicate with my father. We know nothing.”

Contreras said her father and other workers were “kidnapped” by the agents, adding, “I demand a fair trial for my father and dozens of other workers.”

Following the raids in the Fashion District, federal agents also handcuffed and detained workers at a Home Depot store in the nearby city of Paramount. Agents were also seen in front of a donut shop in nearby Compton and around schools.

The families of those arrested gathered in front of Ambiance on Monday, demanding the release of their loved ones. Some of the detained workers were the sole breadwinners for their families.

On the other hand, others like José Ortiz had been workers in Los Angeles’s garment district for years. Ortiz had worked at Ambiance for 18 years. His daughter, Saraí Ortiz, said, “He was always here. He was a loyal worker. He is someone who dedicated his life to this community and his job.”

At least 14 of those detained were members of the Episcopal Diocese of Los Angeles. Bishop John Harvey Taylor of Los Angeles said, “On Pentecost Sunday, 14 members of one of our diocesan churches could not come to church this morning. The government tore them from the arms of their families at home and from the body of Christ in the church.”

Hundreds detained, including union leaders

Police detained David Huerta, president of the California branch of the Service Employees International Union, at Ambiance Apparel on the first day. Huerta was released on June 9.

According to the LA Times, Luz Aguilar, an aide to Los Angeles City Council member Ysabel Jurado, was placed on unpaid leave after being arrested on suspicion of “assault with a deadly weapon” on a police officer during an anti-ICE protest.

“The allegations are extremely concerning, and we are taking them very seriously,” Jurado and her team said in a statement.

Authorities also prevented a delegation of elected officials and immigrant rights advocates from observing detentions at the courthouse, a practice that was previously a routine form of oversight.

According to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, federal agents detained nearly two hundred immigrants in two days. The Department of Homeland Security confirmed that one hundred and eighteen people were detained.

National Guard deployed to Los Angeles

Late Saturday night, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that two thousand soldiers from the California National Guard would be deployed to suppress what White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller described as a “violent riot.”

Miller wrote on X that there were “foreign flags waving in American cities to defend an occupation.” Some of the Mexican immigrants in the area were waving Mexican flags during the demonstrations.

Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass objected to this order, stating they could handle the situation on their own.

Nevertheless, by early Sunday morning, 300 National Guard members had reported to their posts as a series of marches and rallies were held in various parts of the city.

Despite the arrival of the National Guard, the response to the demonstrations was generally handled by the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). LAPD cars, SUVs, trucks, motorcycles, and later, horses, intervened against the protesters while helicopters and surveillance drones flew low overhead.

Pentagon sends Marines to the region

Meanwhile, as of June 10, 700 Marines were sent to the city by order of President Donald Trump to support the National Guard.

According to a statement from the US Northern Command (Northcom), the command activated a Marine Corps Battalion that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had ordered to be ready for deployment over the weekend amidst ongoing protests against ICE raids.

Approximately 700 Marines from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, based at Twentynine Palms, California, will “seamlessly integrate” with National Guard troops already deployed to Los Angeles to protect federal personnel and property, the statement said.

The command stated that the Marines are “trained in de-escalation, crowd control, and rules for the use of force.”

In a post on X, Hegseth linked the deployment to increasing threats against federal officers and buildings. “Due to increased threats against federal law enforcement and federal buildings, approximately 700 active-duty US Marines from Camp Pendleton are being deployed to Los Angeles to restore order,” Hegseth wrote, then took a swipe at Governor Gavin Newsom, finishing with, “It is our duty to defend federal law enforcement, even if Gavin Newsom won’t.”

California’s Democratic leaders criticized the decision, saying it would further escalate tensions that had already led authorities to use tear gas during clashes with protesters. Trump told reporters, “We will send whatever it takes to ensure law and order.”

In a statement posted on X, Newsom’s press office criticized the movement of the Marines as “mobilizing the best unit of the US military against its own citizens.” The office added, “It is completely unjustified, unwarranted, and unprecedented for the tension to reach this level.”

Trump threatens Governor Newsom with ‘arrest’

President Trump insisted that this deployment was necessary to stop the protests against ICE.

This is the second time in the last 60 years that a US president has mobilized a state’s National Guard troops without the governor’s consent.

“The troublemakers are professional agitators. They are rioters. They are bad people. They should be in jail,” Trump told reporters on Monday (June 9).

Trump also said he would support Governor Newsom’s arrest. The President said this in reference to a back-and-forth between his “border czar” Tom Homan and Newsom. When Newsom said, “Come and arrest me,” Homan replied, “No one is above the law. Those who cross the line, who commit crimes, can be arrested.”

However, Newsom accused the Pentagon of “lying to the American people” to justify the deployment of troops within the state, claiming the situation only became violent after the US military deployed soldiers.

Newsom officially requested that the Trump administration withdraw National Guard troops from the streets, and the state of California has sued the Trump administration over the deployment, which its officials have described as “illegal.”

Trump also said, “Look, I like Gavin Newsom. He’s a good guy, but he’s extremely incompetent. Everyone knows it. All you have to do is look at the little railroad he built. It costs about 100 times the budget.”

Protests spread to other states

The anti-ICE demonstrations that started in Los Angeles, California, have begun to spread to other states.

On Monday, a largely peaceful march was held in downtown Austin, Texas, to condemn the nationwide increase in immigrant detentions.

In another Texas city, Dallas, dozens gathered with banners and flags to protest the Trump administration’s harsh measures against immigrants.

Police arrested a group of protesters who occupied Trump Tower in New York on Monday, demanding that ICE release the immigrants detained in recent raids.

New York police also reported that about 20 people were arrested during protests that broke out after ICE detained numerous immigrants at a courthouse in Lower Manhattan.

According to police, 23 people were arrested when activists gathered in front of the US Immigration Court on Varick Street near West Houston Street. While 18 were released with summonses, the status of the other 5 was not immediately known.

According to Hell Gate, the detained protesters were trying to block two vans that ICE agents were using to transport detained immigrants.

Republicans want to increase penalties for assault on police

Texas Republican Representative Tony Gonzales is preparing to reintroduce a bill aimed at stiffening penalties for assaulting police officers following the recent protests in Los Angeles.

The bill, previously introduced by Gonzales in 2023, aims to “increase prison sentences and fines for crimes of assaulting or obstructing law enforcement officers in the performance of their duties.”

According to a press release from Representative Gonzales on June 9, the bill is named the “Crimes Against Police Services Act” (COPS Act).

“The chaos created by rioters in Los Angeles this weekend was far from a peaceful protest; it was complete anarchy. Radical activists damaged Border Patrol and ICE vehicles on duty, resulting in injuries. It is time to emphasize a very clear message: those who harm law enforcement officers will face severe consequences,” Gonzales said in the press release.

Gonzales stated that he will introduce the COPS Act to Congress this week.

US President Donald Trump has issued an executive order banning foreign students from entering the US to study at Harvard University.

Announcing the executive order on Wednesday, President Trump also stated he has authorized Secretary of State Marco Rubio to initiate the revocation of visas for the university’s foreign students.

Trump stated in the announcement that this decision was prompted by the university’s refusal to share information regarding “known illegal activities” committed by its international students.

The order was issued even though a federal judge in May had granted a preliminary injunction. This injunction prevented the administration from barring Harvard’s enrollment of international students, as part of an effort to penalize the school over allegations of “antisemitism and civil rights violations.”

The university states that it is working to resolve these issues on its own.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement on X, “Admission to study at an ‘elite’ university in the United States is a privilege, not a right. The Department of Justice will vigorously defend the President’s decision to suspend the entry of new foreign students to Harvard University on national security grounds.”

In response, Harvard Spokesperson Jason Newton contended, “This is another illegal retaliatory step by the administration that infringes upon Harvard’s rights guaranteed under the First Amendment of the Constitution. Harvard will continue to protect its international students.”

Trump’s feud with the university began in April when Harvard rejected the White House’s demand to revise its admissions and disciplinary policies, citing violations of free speech rights. The White House responded by withholding more than $2 billion in federal grants.

In early May, Trump announced plans to revoke Harvard’s tax-exempt status. Later that month, he proposed distributing the university’s $3 billion endowment to vocational schools.

International students make up approximately 27% of Harvard’s student population. The White House first requested in late May the cancellation of the university’s participation in the Student and Exchange Visitor Program, which allows universities to enroll foreign students. Harvard sued the Department of Homeland Security, and a federal judge immediately granted a temporary restraining order.

During a hearing last week, US District Judge Allison Burroughs indicated her intention to issue a preliminary injunction. Such an order would bar the Trump administration from taking further punitive measures against Harvard as the lawsuit concerning the foreign student matter proceeds.

Although the Trump administration opposes any such injunction, it requested that the Department of Justice and Harvard lawyers agree on the wording for a potential court order. The two sides have not yet responded to the judge.

The Pentagon is preparing to make a symbolic move that will more closely align the Arctic island with the US by transferring control of Greenland to the US Northern Command (Northcom).

This shift in command, which could take place as early as this week, may also serve to expand US radar capabilities and strengthen its missile defense network.

A Department of Defense official, along with two sources acquainted with the plans, has indicated that Greenland is set to move from the European Command’s (Eucom) area of responsibility to that of the Northern Command (Northcom), the body charged with ensuring North American security.

This development represents the most tangible outcome of the Trump administration’s months-long efforts to secure Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

The integration of Greenland into Northcom is anticipated to provoke significant discussion in Denmark and throughout NATO. Concerns have been fueled by the Trump administration’s sustained efforts to assert control over the island, including its unwillingness to rule out military options for acquisition.

Denmark and the semi-autonomous Faroe Islands will remain under Eucom’s authority, creating a symbolic and operational demarcation between these territories and Greenland.

A source close to the developments remarked, “Geographically, the move is logical. Politically, though, it’s clear this decision will raise concerns in Europe.”

This shift in command authority is a component of the Pentagon leadership’s ongoing review of the Unified Command Plan. This plan delineates the areas of responsibility for the department’s six geographic combatant commands.

While Greenland’s reassignment would not necessitate a major leadership overhaul, other proposals—such as merging Northcom with Southern Command or integrating Africa Command into the Germany-based Eucom—would significantly impact the number of three- and four-star officers in the military and the allocation of assets to various global regions.

For months, the Trump administration has emphasized Greenland’s strategic importance to US security. It argues that the island’s North Atlantic location is critical for enhancing missile defense programs and for monitoring Russian and Chinese maritime activities in the Arctic.

Such a change would pave the way for deploying more missile defense radar systems in Greenland and broadening this sensor network, thus integrating the island more tightly with Canadian and US regional defense frameworks.

Northcom is responsible for the protection of US territory. Its duties include overseeing southern border security, air and missile defense, and collaborating with Canada and Mexico on shared security concerns.

Bringing Greenland under Northcom’s umbrella will effectively elevate the island’s profile in policy debates at the Pentagon and the White House, distinctly positioning it relative to Denmark.

A source indicated that the Danish government has not yet been formally notified of the impending transfer.

The US has maintained a military presence on the island for an extended period. In March, individuals named as Vice President JD Vance and then-national security advisor Mike Waltz are said to have visited Pituffik Space Base. This facility, possessing the Pentagon’s northernmost deep-water port, has long functioned as a strategic site for monitoring Russia and China.

While in Greenland, Vance is reported to have encouraged the island’s leaders to “make a deal” with Washington, allegedly stating, “I believe it would be far more advantageous for you to be under the US security umbrella than under Denmark’s.”

In January, the Danish government committed to an additional $2 billion for Greenland’s security initiatives, a move partly aimed at appeasing the Trump administration’s security concerns.

The Trump administration’s remarks on the Arctic’s significance have also captured the attention of NATO leaders. Mark Rutte, the alliance’s secretary general, noted last week, “As NATO, we are increasing our engagement in Arctic security matters.”

Rutte also described the Trump administration’s focus on Russian and Chinese activities in the region as a positive development.

In a recent NBC interview last month, Trump affirmed he had not discounted the possibility of acquiring Greenland by military means, commenting, “I’m not saying I’m going to do it, but I’m not ruling anything out. We need Greenland very much.”