protest erupts in the city of los Angeles: The Trump Administration is at fault
OPINION | SECTION
All factions in Los Angeles unite in one clear message: they refuse to be ICE’d out of their communities or accept President Trump’s militarized commandos. They, Californians, demand freedom and reject the controlling policies imposed by the Trump administration under the direction of the Heritage Foundation’s Project 25.
By Rashida Gomez | June 10, 2025
on June 6, 2025, a peaceful protest began in Los Angeles California as a result of Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) surprise raids on several locations where undocumented immigrants stood waiting for employment opportunities from contractors, home owners, or anyone looking for day workers to perform work related task.
Ice also went to peoples places of employment. Their goal was to arrest people for various immigration violations, and conform to the mandate by President Trump of mass deportations. To date, the number of arrest come no where near Trump’s goal of 1 million deportations a year: which appears why Trump has now moved to quell a peaceful protest.
The following day, June 7, there were a few light skirmishes between law enforcement and protestors. The altercations were small and [not] lethal in anyway. Yet, President Trump chose to federalize the California National Guard (without consulting the Governor or Mayor). By Trump activating the National Guard in opposition to the Governor, they are no longer members of the National Guards, but U.S. Army with no law enforcement responsibility other than protecting federal buildings.
The community became distraught by Trump’s attempts to intimidate, thus turning the peaceful protest violent. (The Mayor said it was the inclusion of the military into what was a peaceful protest, that changed the tone and orientation of the protest—by purposely agitating its participants.)
President Trump sends in the cavalry to Los Angeles, California in hopes of restoring order and projecting strength amid the growing unrest of Californians.
Trump’s deployment of 300 National Guard members to the city of Los Angeles made them full military operatives. Under the direction of Pete Hegseth, the United States Secretary of Defense, the Pentagon activated 700 Marines on the 9th of June to a neutral area 30 miles of Los Angeles waiting for deployment amid the Ice Protest.
California’s Governor Gavin Newsom, immediately challenged the decision and filed a suit to block military deployment into LA’s civilian territory. Dozens of protestors were arrested—and multiple injuries to law enforcement officers and protestors have been documented.
Many of the critics have blamed President Trump and his regime for jumping in too quickly: sending in the calvary and of playing politics. They determined the federal response was above and beyond what was necessary to gain control of what was a peaceful law-abiding protest, having few minor issues.
Now, as a result of the inflammatory move by the Trump team, the protest have metastasized throughout the country. It’s a fluid situation and has caused a bitter feud between President Trump and California’s Governor Gavin Newsom. Newsom said, “The U.S. Marines serve a valuable purpose for this country—defending democracy.
Trump appears to have deliberately established a militarized zone, to provoke unrest among residence of various locations in California. This calculated move is designed to ignite protest, escalate tensions, and justify further crackdowns—turning dissent into disorder to tighten their grip on control.
They are not political pawns.” He further stated “The Secretary of Defense is illegally deploying “lethal military operatives” the into the Streets…” Gavin in a televised news briefing, said, “President Trump’s and his actions are “Brazen and an abuse of power.”
President Trump responded by saying the Governor is incompetent—taunting him with the name “Newscum” while saying, “If I didn’t ‘SEND IN THE TROOPS’ to Los Angeles the last three nights, that once beautiful and great City would be burning to the ground right now, much like 25,000 houses burned to the ground in L.A, do [sec] to an incompetent Governor and Mayor…”
Many Americans see Trump’s behavior and his derisive nicknaming of his adversaries as childish and inflicting major harm to the American brand and its civilian population. At stake in the Trump vs Newsom feud, is the threat of whether the White House will cut off federal aid to colleges and universities and the state of California as a whole.
President Trump see his political rise for a second term to the “Oval Office” as an official “Kingly Anointing” bestowed unto him by the people and God—as a mandated to rule with unfettered decision making opportunities. This assumed accolade attributed to Trump, means having authority over all three branches of the government—full stop. As he affirms, he is the ultimate decision maker.
Screen Shot, MSNBC
Newsom is determined to stop the Trump madness. He said, “We will sue to stop this. The Courts and Congress must act. Checks and balances are crumbling. This is a red line — and they’re crossing it. Wake up!”
Trump defended his decision while leaving the possibility of enacting the Insurrection act. Why? Because it is believed the president knows his actions are unlawful under the Posse Comitatus Act: which restricts the use of the military for domestic law enforcement. However, if he should enact the Insurrection Act of 1807, it empowers the president to deploy the military to quell insurrections or mass violence internally.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta, said “people who peaceful protest it part of their Constitutionally protected rights. Its a core part of our democracy.” People most certainly should be allowed to organically making their voices heard without fear.
Why Did Trump's Administration Send in the Calvary?
The Trump administration’s along with the Heritage Foundation’s Project 25 mission is clear: deport as many immigrants as possible and dismantle LGBTQ+ rights and progressive policies in California—turning the state into a blueprint for broader national agenda(s).
Trump’s deployment of military personnel to California was strategic. California represents all that this administration and the Heritage Foundation despises. Their move appears to reflect a broader concern that made sense to forgo an attack on Governor Newsom and the way he governs Californians.
In particular, California symbolizes “woke” ideology and loose liberal values that Trump and his base often opposes: progressive immigration laws, sanctuary city protections, LGBT+ rights, and visible struggles like homelessness and ramped drug abuse.
By using aggressive force in California—the face of liberalism—it will send a message to the rest of the country to conform, especially progressive states and cities: we’re watching and coming for you too should your house not be in order. This particularly, those that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement and other policies administered by the Trump administration.
Additionally, this strong show of force serve to keep Trump in the media spotlight, as he project his strongman image to the world. It allows Trump to amass more power and advance his goal of authoritarianism: as many U.S. citizens and world leaders view him as a bold, decisive leader—(though controversially and inaccurately) like the historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln.
Trump sending in the military to a protest in Los Angeles, sees himself as paralleling Lincoln’s accomplishment during the Civil War debacle, but that is a complete distortion. Abraham Lincoln’s deployment of the military during the Civil War was directed at preserving the Union, and not suppressing peaceful dissent like what Trump and his minions are doing in LA. Which is an outright breach of trust, and a move toward kingship.
The president appears to have already assumed the position of “King of America”—he just needs his royal scepter, crown, and headdress (maybe he has that already) as this president seems to rule with unfettered sovereign authority—absent the Constitutional checks and balances.
For years, I have felt that authoritarian leadership would befall to America, as the landscape has been fertile ground. There has not been real political leadership in America in a long time: by Republicans or democrats. Both parties have presented partisan policies which infuriated the opposing side.
Neither presented a middle ground. Police departments across the U.S. have prepared for civil unrest by acquiring surplus military-grade equipment—gear originally intended for overseas combat, now deployed in America’s streets.
During the presidency of Barack Obama, he sought to stop these transfers, citing concerns over potential misuse and a growing militarization of local law enforcement. Obama’s efforts faced much resistance, leaving much of that equipment in circulation.
Having Trump and his authoritarian style of government now in power, fears have intensified that these weapons might not be the last resort to ameliorate violence in the U.S., but the first line of response!
Trump recently on Truth Social, said he will be escalating raids in a series of cities: Los Angeles, New York, and Chicago, and other democrat-run sanction cities in America. He ordered ICE agents “to do all in their power to achieve the goal of delivering the single largest “Mass Deportation” program in history.” He said the reason is to keep immigrants from voting in elections and as a means to weaken the opposition party, Republicans.
Clearly, this was an authoritarian move to disrupt and corrupt the system: bending it towards his, MAGA, and the Heritage Foundation’s mission. Trump said in so many words, “Immigrants are expanding the “Democratic Voter Base”, cheating in elections, growing the welfare states, and robbing good hardworking American citizens of jobs and other resources. He denigrated Democrats by saying the radical Left are sick of mind, hate our country, and actually want to destroy our Inner Cities—and they are doing a good job of it!”
The White House has called on ICE to make at least 3000 arrest every day. However, Trump’s demands appears to go against other orders he has given the agency, such as ceasing arrest at farms, restaurants, and hotels following complaints from business owners about losing workers. Something that may also be hurting the interest of the President in his many business ventures throughout America as well.