Members of the National Guard began deploying in Los Angeles on Sunday following two days of clashes between protesters and federal officers, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

The Trump administration said it is sending at least 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, calling California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass “incompetent. ” Newsom called the president’s move “purposefully inflammatory” and Bass said she is working closely with law enforcement to “find the best path forward.”

A demonstrator carries a mask depicting U.S. President Donald Trump during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 8, 2025. REUTERS/David Swanson

How did the protests start?

The first protests began Friday in Los Angeles, when residents reacted to federal agents engaged in what appeared to be an immigration enforcement operation. Federal agents were seen in at least two locations in the city. As word spread, more people showed up and the protests grew and lasted into the night.

On Saturday, residents of Paramount, a city within Los Angeles County about 16 miles south of the downtown area, saw federal agents gathering in an industrial park. The residents began trying to block the streets nearby. The protest turned into a standoff between federal agents and approximately 300 people, according to the mayor. It lasted most of the day.

What happened at the protests?

There were widespread reports of verbal harassment of federal agents, with protesters yelling and shouting for them to leave their communities. The protests drew responses from local law enforcement. In some instances, tear gas and flash bangs were used in an attempt to disperse or control the crowds. Some protesters launched fireworks in response. At least one protester was injured Friday. There were no immediate reports of injuries on Saturday.

Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said Friday that some 800 protesters surrounded and breached a federal law-enforcement building in Los Angeles. She said protesters assaulted ICE officers, slashed tires and defaced public property.

What were the federal agents doing in Los Angeles?

In Los Angeles, ICE claimed it made 118 arrests last week, including five alleged gang members and other immigrants with criminal histories.

“Our officers and agents continued to enforce immigration law in LA, despite the violent protesters,” the agency posted on X .

U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California Bilal “Bill” Essayli said Saturday that more than a dozen protesters who “impeded agents” were arrested and warned more arrests could follow.

“We will continue to arrest anyone who interferes with federal law enforcement,” Essayli said in a post on X .

The FBI said it has agents in California and all over the country supporting the Department of Homeland Security in its immigration operations, including in cities where major operations are already under way. The FBI helps with high-risk arrest operations and gives other resources such as intelligence analysts and technical support working from command posts.

President Trump won a second term in the White House by pledging to secure the U.S.-Mexico border and promising mass deportations of unauthorized migrants.

Remains of burnt vehicles lie on the ground during a protest against federal immigration sweeps in downtown Los Angeles, California, U.S. June 8, 2025. REUTERS/Aude Guerrucci

How is Trump able to call in the National Guard?

President Trump ordered the troops to temporarily protect Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and government personnel, as well as federal property, according to a memo released by the White House late Saturday.

The deployment of troops under federal authority in response to civil unrest is a rare step, one that usually requires the president to find under the Insurrection Act that they are needed to enforce the law or restore order.

The National Guard forces were deployed under the orders of the federal government, known as Title 10 authority, a U.S. Northern Command spokesman told The Wall Street Journal on Sunday.

What else has the Trump administration said?

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on X that active-duty Marines at Camp Pendleton in Southern California were on “high alert” and would be sent to reinforce the National Guard if violence continued. Newsom said the threat to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil was “deranged behavior.”

On Sunday morning, Hegseth said it was “deranged” to allow attacks on law enforcement and doubled down on the possibility of deploying active-duty Marines to the streets of Los Angeles.

“The National Guard, and Marines if need be, stand with ICE,” Hegseth said in a post on X.

Write to Ginger Adams Otis at Ginger.AdamsOtis@wsj.com and Jack Morphet at jack.morphet@wsj.com