4 min ago

27 people arrested in LA protests

From CNN’s Karina Tsui

Police officers detain demonstrators during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles, California, on Sunday. Mike Blake/Reuters

A total of 27 arrests were made in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday, LAPD Police Chief Jim McDonnell told reporters at a nighttime news conference.

The alleged crimes include throwing a Molotov cocktail at an officer and ramming a motorbike into a police line, McDonnell said.

Seventeen of the arrests on Sunday were made by the California Highway Patrol while clearing protesters from the 101 Highway, while the LAPD made 10 arrests during scuffles downtown, the police chief said.

On Saturday, McDonnell said, 29 arrests were made for alleged failure to disperse.

“Our job is not to divide communities or to politicize law enforcement. Our job is simply to keep everyone safe,” McDonnell said.

The chief addressed the community’s “deep fear and anxiety” emerging from recent immigration enforcement, and assured the department is “committed to transparency, accountability, and treating every Angeleno with respect, regardless of their immigration status.”

13 min ago

Labor activist says Pasadena community is rallying against ICE

From CNN’s Hanna Park

Pablo Alvarado, co-executive director of the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, has condemned the presence of ICE agents in Pasadena, California, and called for peaceful protests to protect vulnerable immigrant communities.

“I happen to live in Pasadena, nearby the area that was impacted by the Eaton fires, and this morning, we were notified that there were ICE agents lodging at AC Hotel, a local hotel,” Alvarado told CNN’s Rosemary Church on Sunday night.

“The community began coming to protest the presence of those ICE agents who had already questioned the workers who clean the rooms of the hotel.”

Alvarado described a groundswell of support from residents, saying people from “all walks of life” stood with the workers to demand ICE agents leave the city.

“Our communities have witnessed families being torn apart — mothers, sons, daughters, grandfathers, children are being detained. ICE agents are going to Home Depot to pick people up.”

The protests, which drew large crowds, delivered a clear message, according to Alvarado. “We don’t want to see your armored vehicles, men in masks come into our communities to pick people up, to rip families apart. The message was loud and clear: This is the moment we need to protest peacefully.”

While Alvarado acknowledged the justified anger among protesters, he urged nonviolence.

“The anger is justifiable. The violence, in my view, is not,” he said. “Every time that there is violence, the most vulnerable communities pay the price.

“We are asking people of good conscience — people who believe that immigrants are part of the social fabric (and economy) of our communities to come out … and protect those who are in vulnerable circumstances, peacefully.”

15 min ago

What is the National Guard, and when are they deployed?

From CNN’s Jessie Yeung

Authorities stand in tear gas while trying to clear protesters at the metropolitan detention center in downtown Los Angeles, on Sunday. Jae Hong/AP

President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to Los Angeles on Sunday – the first time a US chief executive has used such power since 1992, when the Los Angeles riots erupted after four White police officers were acquitted in the beating of Black motorist Rodney King.

What is the National Guard? It’s part of the US military with a double line of command, answering to both state governors and the president. Its members are part of the primary combat reserve of the Army and the Air Force. Serving on a part-time basis, they can be deployed overseas for combat or support missions, but mostly operate in the US for domestic emergencies like natural disasters.

Every state and territory (plus Washington, D.C.) has a National Guard. Any state governor or the US president can call on the Guard at any moment – setting it apart from other military branches.

Previous state deployments: The National Guard has been mobilized by states for high-profile situations several times in recent years. During the pandemic, Guard members in some states helped to make face masks, field calls from concerned citizens, disinfect facilities and assembling testing kits. Following the January 7, 2021 insurrection at the Capitol, several states sent Guard members to Washington for additional security.

Federal deployments: It’s rare for the president to federally deploy the National Guard the way Trump did, without the request from a governor. Abraham Lincoln had mobilized troops to fight the Confederacy and later support Reconstruction, but National Guard would not evolve into today’s form until the 20th century. After Lincoln, no president deployed the Guard until 1957, when they were sent ensure public order during the desegregation of Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas.

They were also federally deployed in 1967 to restore public order during the Detroit riots; in 1968 following the assassination of civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.; and in 1970 during the New York postal strike, according to the National Guard.

20 min ago

CNN witnessed cars set on fire and protesters preparing to face off with police

CNN’s Kyung Lah reports on self-driving cars being set on fire and vandalized during protests against immigration raids in Los Angeles.

Self-driving cars set on fire during LA protests

Now the super duper peaceful protestors are starting squad cars on fire.

Nothing to see here—totally under control.pic.twitter.com/nBdEY0EZCc

— Dustin Grage (@GrageDustin) June 9, 2025