Skip next section Bernie Sanders: Trump steering US toward authoritarism
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
Bernie Sanders: Trump steering US toward authoritarism
Senator Bernie Sanders has accused US President of rapidly moving the towards an authoritarian state.
Sanders made the comments to the US broadcaster CNN after Trump ordered the National Guard to step in and disperse angry protesters, who had rioted in Los Angeles against the president’s immigration crackdown.
“This guy [Trump] wants all the power. He doesn’t believe in the Constitution. He doesn’t believe in the rule of law,” Sanders told the broadcaster.
He added that both the state of California and the city of Los Angeles had not requested the mobilization, but Trump thinks “he has the right to do whatever he wants.”
Sanders, who is one of the most prominent left-wing politicians in the US, went on to list the many decisions Trump had taken since he returned to office in January.
“He sues media outlets that criticize him. He persecutes law firms that have clients who opposed him. He takes action against universities that teach courses he doesn’t like. He threatens to impeach judges who rule against him. And he abuses the power of the United States Congress,” the left-leaning senator said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vcMZ
Skip next section National Guard troops arrive in LA
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
National Guard troops arrive in LA
California’s National Guard troops began arriving at the scene of the protests, according to footage from local US broadcaster ABC7.
Previously, the US President Donald Trump ordered 2,000 troops to be deployed to Los Angeles, bypassing the authority of Governor Gavin Newsom.
The US news channel reported that the soldiers began assembling in front of the Hall of Justice, just next to Los Angeles City Hall. ABC7 also reported that the troops drove through the neighborhood of Paramount, in the southern part of the city.
Paramount was the scene of clashes between federal agents and protesters, with tear gas deployed.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vc9v
Skip next section Trump overrides Newsom’s authority to deploy California Guard — what to know
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
Trump overrides Newsom’s authority to deploy California Guard — what to know
US President Donald Trump bypassed California Governor Gavin Newsom’s authority to deploy the state’s National Guard troops, assuming federal control in a rare move that overrides typical state oversight.
Governors usually command their state National Guard units, but Trump invoked federal authority to take direct control of California’s forces.
Newsom criticized the decision as “purposefully inflammatory,” warning that it would only escalate tensions. The Democrat later accused the federal government of seeking a spectacle and urged the public not to respond with violence.
Newsom’s office said Trump federalized California’s National Guard under what is known as Title 10 authority. This legal provision allows the president to assume command of a state’s National Guard if “there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion against the authority of the Government of the United States.”
Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the UC Berkeley School of Law, told the Los Angeles Times that by overriding Newsom’s authority, Trump “is using the military domestically to stop dissent.”
“It certainly sends a message as to how this administration is going to respond to protests. It is very frightening to see this done,” he added.
The New York Times reported Trump’s decision marks the first time in several decades that a president has activated a state’s National Guard without the state governor’s request.
Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice, noted that the last such instance occurred in 1965, when President Lyndon B. Johnson deployed troops to Alabama to protect civil rights demonstrators.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vc0T
Skip next section WATCH: Los Angeles residents worried about federal deployments
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
WATCH: Los Angeles residents worried about federal deployments
DW spoke with “The California Report” radio host Saul Gonzalez about the current situation of unrest in the Los Angeles area. Here is what he had to say:
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbzy
Skip next section LA protests die down after a day of chaos
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
LA protests die down after a day of chaos
Protests have died down in Los Angeles County after a day of chaos, with what appeared to have been tear gas having filled the streets in Paramount and downtown Los Angeles, where protesters clashed with security officers over immigration raids.
President Trump’s decision to then deploy National Guard troops was met with objections, as California Governor Gavin Newsom called the decision “purposefully inflammatory” and called on demonstrators to “never use violence.”
The protests began after federal officials conducted immigration sweeps in the Los Angeles area on Friday.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbv5
Skip next section Organizers call for a third day of protests
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
Organizers call for a third day of protests
US media outlets are reporting that organizers have called for a third day of protests after a day of clashes between protesters and law enforcement officials over immigration raids in Los Angeles.
The protests pit Democratic-run Los Angeles, where census data suggests a significant portion of the population is Hispanic and foreign-born, against Trump’s Republican White House, which has made cracking down on immigration a hallmark of his second term.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vblo
Skip next section LA Mayor says National Guard troops not deployed
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
LA Mayor says National Guard troops not deployed
Shortly after President Donald Trump praised the National Guard’s efforts in Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass clarified that the troops had not yet arrived.
“Just to be clear, the National Guard has not been deployed in the City of Los Angeles,” she wrote on X.
Trump earlier praised the National Guard “for a job well done” only hours after activating their deployment to Los Angeles County.
According to The New York Times, Bilal Essayli, the interim US attorney for the Central District of California, said guard troops will be on the streets of Los Angeles on Sunday.
“They’re going to primarily be focused on protecting federal property, so I think you can expect to see them at least in downtown LA,” the paper quoted him as saying.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbea
Skip next section IN PICTURES: Protests over immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
IN PICTURES: Protests over immigration enforcement raids in Los Angeles
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbd5
Skip next section Trump administration eroding protection and rights of immigrants — lawyer tells DW06/08/2025June 8, 2025
Trump administration eroding protection and rights of immigrants — lawyer tells DW
“This [Trump] administration’s sole purpose is to conduct the biggest mass deportations in the history of the United States,” Jeanette Zanipatin, an immigration lawyer, told DW.
“We are seeing them erode all the protections and rights that people have, especially immigrants, under the Constitution,” she said.
Speaking about the ongoing protests in Los Angeles, Zanipatin said that the Trump administration is and not allowing people to exercise due process.
This administration is eroding “checks and balances between the federal branch and our court system,” she said.
Watch the full interview here.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbW9
Skip next section Trump bars protesters from wearing face masks
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
Trump bars protesters from wearing face masks
US President thanked the National Guard “for a job well done” only hours after activating their deployment to Los Angeles.
But there was no confirmation on whether troops were already deployed to the area by Saturday evening.
“These Radical Left protests, by instigators and often paid troublemakers, will NOT BE TOLERATED,” he wrote on his Truth social platform.
He also said protesters would no longer be allowed to wear masks. “What do these people have to hide, and why,” Trump asked.
This comes even though many immigration officers involved in the crackdown on undocumented migrants, an operation that sparked the protests, were wearing masks to conceal their identities.
ICE’s acting director, Todd Lyons, recently said agents cover up to protect their families
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbYV
Skip next section More than a dozen arrested during clashes in LA area
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
More than a dozen arrested during clashes in LA area
US Attorney for California Bill Essayli said that more than a dozen ‘agitators’ were arrested after they impeded federal agents from carrying out law enforcement operations.
Los Angeles saw a second day of unrest Saturday as residents clashed with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) federal agents and other law enforcement officials over raids on undocumented migrants.
“We will continue to arrest anyone who interferes with federal law enforcement,” Essayli wrote on social media.
The protests have set Democratic-led LA, where census data shows a large Hispanic and foreign-born population, against President Donald Trump’s administration, which has made immigration crackdowns a central focus.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security said ICE operations in Los Angeles resulted in the arrest of 118 immigrants.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbK2
Skip next section What to know about deployment of National Guard troops in past years
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
What to know about deployment of National Guard troops in past years
According to the Los Angeles Times, the National Guard has been deployed previously, but only during widespread civil unrest, for example, during the upheaval associated with the 2020 protests following the , or the riots that occurred after the Rodney King verdict in 1992.
This time, clashes between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and law enforcement have been limited to isolated areas, including the Home Depot in Paramount, a location in LA’s fashion district, and the Civic Center.
The unrest was sparked when ICE officers executed search warrants at multiple locations on Friday.
They were wearing military-style uniforms, arrived in armored trucks and other unmarked vehicles, and had their faces covered.
“The federal government is sowing chaos so they can have an excuse to escalate. That is not the way any civilized country behaves,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbSl
Skip next section California governor says Trump trying to create ‘spectacle’
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
California governor says Trump trying to create ‘spectacle’
US President Donald Trump took federal control of California’s state military to deploy soldiers into LA, the country’s second-biggest city.
California Governor Gavin Newsom said the Trump Administration was trying to create “a spectacle” by deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles.
“The federal government is taking over the California National Guard and deploying 2,000 soldiers in Los Angeles – not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle,” he wrote on X.
He urged demonstrators,”don’t give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully.”
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbIt
Skip next section What to know so far about protests in LA area06/08/2025June 8, 2025
What to know so far about protests in LA area
If you’re joining us now, we’re covering news about the Trump administration having mobilized resources to send National Guard troops to the LA area following growing protests over immigration raids in the area.
Trump’s order came after clashes between law enforcement officers and protesters in Paramount, a city south of LA, and neighboring Compton, where a car was set on fire.
Crowds also gathered again outside federal buildings in downtown LA, including a detention center, where local police declared an unlawful assembly and began to arrest people.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbJw
Skip next section White House slams LA ‘insurrectionists’ as protests grow over immigration raids
06/08/2025June 8, 2025
White House slams LA ‘insurrectionists’ as protests grow over immigration raids
US Vice President labeled protesters who confronted immigration agents during raids of local businesses “insurrectionists.”
“Insurrectionists carrying foreign flags are attacking immigration enforcement officers, while one-half of America’s political leadership has decided that border enforcement is evil,” Vance wrote on X.
Another top White House official, Stephen Miller, described the protest against the federal immigration raids as an “insurrection” against the United States.
“An insurrection against the laws and sovereignty of the United States,” Miller, an immigration hardliner and White House deputy chief of staff, wrote on X.
The Trump administration has not invoked the Insurrection Act, two US officials told the Reuters news agency on condition of anonymity.
https://p.dw.com/p/4vbGv
The post US updates: National Guard reaches Los Angeles after unrest appeared first on Deutsche Welle.
