Coast-to-coast protests have erupted in the US as President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown ignites mass demonstrations, sweeping arrests, and political warfare.
Cities like Los Angeles and New York have become battlegrounds in a growing clash between federal forces and furious demonstrators — sparking a nationwide debate about the limits of presidential power and the meaning of public resistance.
Downtown LA Locked Down: Marines on Patrol, Curfews Imposed
Downtown Los Angeles is now officially under curfew.
Mayor Karen Bass declared a state of emergency and slapped the city with a strict overnight curfew from 8:00PM to 6:00OM after nights of destruction, chaos, and violent protests, BBC News reports.
“We reached a tipping point,” she said, warning residents: “If you do not live or work in Downtown LA avoid the area. Law enforcement will arrest individuals who break the curfew, and you will be prosecuted.”
With cars set ablaze, buildings vandalized, and officers pelted with bricks and fireworks, Trump responded with brute force — ordering 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines into the city to assist law enforcement.
“We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy. That’s what they are,” Trump declared during a speech at Fort Bragg. He called the protesters “animals” and vowed to “liberate Los Angeles” from what he labeled “third-world lawlessness.”
In a post on X, the Los Angeles Police Department said: "Multiple groups continue to congregate on 1st St between Spring and Alameda. Those groups are being addressed and mass arrests are being initiated. Curfew is in effect."
In a scathing post on Truth Social, the POTUS wrote: "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. due to an incompetent Governor and Mayor."
Trump continued: "Incidentally, the much more difficult, time consuming, and stringent FEDERAL PERMITTING PROCESS is virtually complete on these houses, while the easy and simple City and State Permits are disastrously bungled up and WAY BEHIND SCHEDULE! They are a total mess, and will be for a long time. People want to rebuild their houses. Call your incompetent Governor and Mayor, the Federal permitting is DONE!!!"
Governor Newsom Fires Back: ‘Democracy is Next’
California Governor Gavin Newsom didn’t hold back in his response.
“Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves, but they do not stop there,” he warned, denouncing the deployment of federal troops as a “brazen abuse of power.”
Newsom accused Trump of choosing “escalation and theatrics over public safety,” adding: “Democracy is under assault before our eyes.”
California Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla echoed the alarm, saying the domestic military mobilization was unjustified. Meanwhile, workers scrambled to scrub graffiti off buildings and board up storefronts as 23 businesses were confirmed looted, per Sky News.
Foley Square Frenzy: NYPD Grapples With Riotous Crowd
The outrage isn’t confined to the West Coast. In Manhattan, Lower NYC erupted as thousands swarmed Foley Square in an anti-ICE protest that spiraled into full-blown street mayhem.
Over 80 protesters were arrested as the NYPD deployed a Level 3 mobilization to handle bottle-throwing demonstrators and barricade breaches near Federal Plaza, the New York Post reports.
Masked protesters shouted “Shame! Shame!” while others clashed violently with officers. One woman was slammed into toppled barricades. Pepper spray was used. Vape smoke was blown in officers’ faces. Arrests came fast and hard.
Brooklyn Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, speaking to the crowd, accused Mayor Eric Adams of colluding with Trump: “He is collaborating with Trump to use tactics bringing out the military. He’s ok with ICE attacking our communities.”
Public Advocate Jumaane Williams piled on: “Mayor Eric Adams is nowhere to be found in a city full of immigrants.” He also accused the NYPD of enabling ICE to “kidnap” people.
ICE Arrests Surge, Protests Spread Nationwide
The protests were triggered by Trump’s ICE raid surge — an operation reportedly leading to 2,000 arrests per day, dwarfing the previous administration’s figures.
Activists across the country say the new tactics are terrorizing immigrant communities. What began in LA quickly spilled into NYC, and then into Seattle, Chicago, Austin, and Washington, D.C.
In LA, the military presence is stark. Troops in camo stand outside federal buildings. Marines protect ICE agents on the streets. The Pentagon estimates the deployment will cost taxpayers $134 million.
Meanwhile, Trump remains defiant, with chants of support echoing in Fort Bragg. “Generations of Army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed,” he thundered to the crowd.
LA Police Chief Defends Curfew, Hundreds Arrested
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said the curfew “is not about silencing voices,” but necessary to “protect lives.”
Over 197 arrests were made on Tuesday alone, adding to hundreds detained over the previous days. Officers fired rubber bullets to scatter remaining groups in the no-go zone, which spans about a square mile.
Mayor Bass pointed to ICE raids in Latino neighborhoods as a catalyst: “If we want to see our city peaceful again... end the raids.”