Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a curfew for a 1-square-mile area of downtown Los Angeles, effective from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday, June 11-12, 2025, in response to protests against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. The curfew, expected to last several days, was prompted by vandalism and looting, with 23 businesses looted and millions in damages reported. Bass urged non-residents and non-workers to avoid the area, warning that law enforcement would arrest curfew violators. Exemptions apply to residents, workers, credentialed media, emergency responders, and those experiencing homelessness.
The protests, ongoing for five days, erupted after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting undocumented immigrants, with over 40 arrests reported in Los Angeles. Trump deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the city, escalating tensions despite objections from Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the deployment a “brazen abuse of power” and filed a lawsuit, arguing it violated state sovereignty. Newsom criticized the raids as targeting “hardworking immigrant families” and accused Trump of inflaming unrest for political gain.
Protests have spread to cities like New York, Chicago, and Denver, with demonstrators opposing what they see as indiscriminate deportations. California officials, including Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta, argue the military presence escalates tensions, while Trump and allies like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defend it as necessary to protect federal agents and property. Clashes have involved tear gas, flash-bangs, and arrests, with some protesters setting vehicles on fire and blocking freeways. Bass emphasized peaceful protest, warning that violence plays into Trump’s narrative.
