- NATIONAL GUARD DEPLOYED TO TEXAS: Gov. Greg Abbott is deploying the Texas National Guard across the state “to ensure peace and order.”
- TROOPS IN L.A.: President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the deployment of about 700 Marines and more than 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles.
- NATIONAL MOVEMENT: Thousands of people across the country joined at least 25 demonstrations and rallies opposing Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids yesterday, from California to New York, with several arrests. Several more protests are planned in numerous cities today.
- HOW WE GOT HERE: Protests erupted after ICE officers carried out raids Friday in three locations across Los Angeles, where dozens of people were taken into custody. Newsom called the raids “chaotic federal sweeps” that aimed to fill an “arbitrary arrest quota.”
- TRUMP VS. NEWSOM: “Border czar” Tom Homan threatened Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass with arrest if they impede troop deployment efforts. Newsom responded by saying: “Tom, arrest me. Let’s go.” Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta sued Trump and Hegseth over the activation of the state’s National Guard.
California pastor says 'police' pointed rifle at her during confrontation on church property
A Southern California pastor said people who identified themselves as “police” pointed a gun at her when she tried to talk to a man who was being questioned in her church’s parking lot.
The confrontation occurred after officials from Downey Memorial Christian Church and others confronted a group of five armed men in plainclothes and tactical gear who “swarmed” a man sitting under a tree in the church’s parking lot, Al Lopez, a pastor at Downey Memorial, told reporters.
Lopez said he asked the men to identify themselves, but they refused.
“They kept asking us to step back and telling us that we couldn’t be there,” he said. “When we said, ‘We don’t want this on our property,’ this gentleman just shouted again: ‘The whole country is our property.’”
His wife, senior pastor Tanya Lopez, said that when she asked them who they were, one of them responded “police.” She told them they weren’t welcome on church property, she said, and tried to get closer to the man, whom she didn’t know, in an effort to find out who he is.
“They did point their rifle at me, and they said, ‘You need to get back,’” Tanya Lopez said.
She said she complied.
“Who knows if this man was a citizen?” she said. “They were not letting him answer any questions, provide any identification. They surrounded him and started to just get ready to grab him, which is why I could not stand idly by.”
Lopez did not say what happened to the man.
Reporting from Venture County, California
ICE raids have reached California’s agricultural heartland, sparking fear among farmworkers and their families.
Advocates say the enforcement actions are keeping parents from schools and homes as helicopters and security forces raise tension in the fields.
Things calm as protesters gather in L.A.'s Pershing Square
Reporting from Los Angeles
Businesses around Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles boarded up their windows and doors, but demonstrators who gathered there this evening are thus far peaceful.
Several hundred people were at the small park shortly before 5 p.m., with more arriving by the minute.
"ICE out of L.A. National Guard go away," the crowd chanted in a call-and-repeat.
DHS says Boyle Heights apprehension was 'targeted arrest' of assault suspect
The Department of Homeland Security said today that video of two vehicles pinning a passenger car and the driver’s being arrested showed “a targeted arrest of a violent rioter” accused of punching an immigration officer.
“When Homeland Security Investigations tried to arrest Christian Damian Cerno-Camacho for the assault, he attempted to flee," DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.
Video of the incident in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood posted online shows a white sedan turning right from an intersection when a silver truck pulls ahead of and blocks it and a silver SUV hits the passenger side.
The driver gets out and puts his hands up and is taken into custody.
Mayra Rojas, owner of the Paris Store on Whittier Boulevard, said she saw a man, a woman and two kids inside the car that got hit on two sides by the other vehicles. She also said she saw “HSI” on the vests of those who hit the passenger car.
The arrest in Boyle Heights, a historic Mexican neighborhood, occurred amid tensions and outrage over immigration raids in the city last week that sparked protests and sometimes violent unrest.
Texas state troopers keeping Alamo area cleared
Reporting from San Antonio
San Antonio was preparing for protests tonight, and Texas Gov. Abbott said officials would be ready to keep any lawlessness at bay.
A number of state troopers arrived by bus at Alamo Plaza this evening and were walking the area. Tourists still were trying to visit but were being told to leave, as was the media.
The Alamo closed early “out of an abundance of caution,” the group that operates the site said.
“The Alamo stands as a symbol of courage, sacrifice and the enduring spirit of those who have stood for freedom throughout history,” the Alamo Trust said in a statement. “We recognize and respect the rights of individuals to gather and peacefully express their views.”
In announcing the evening closing, it cited the safety and preservation of the historic site as its priority.
The Alamo has long had strict rules based on the belief that it is sacred ground.
Earlier in the day, Abbott said he would use Public Safety Department officers and the National Guard to keep order if protests turned violent.
A block from the Alamo, city life sailed on with tourists taking in San Antonio’s famed Riverwalk.
A 7-year-old boy was caught on video crying for his undocumented father, who was arrested by ICE agents. In Los Angeles, ICE said it arrested a number of undocumented immigrants with criminal records, including murder.
Concern that Marines aren't properly trained for interacting with civilians grows
Trump’s deployment of thousands of troops to Los Angeles to quell protests, including 700 active-duty Marines, is fueling concern that the Marines have not been properly trained for interacting with civilians, including children, during potentially tense law enforcement operations.
Some local law enforcement officials and state Democrats say Trump is stoking tensions rather than calming them. The National Guard is often used to respond to riots or violence on American streets. And active-duty Marines are not typically trained for domestic law enforcement and lack the tools or the training to respond to civil disturbances.
Mike Hillman, a law enforcement consultant, military veteran and former deputy Los Angeles police chief who served more than 40 years in the department, said there is a big difference between what law enforcement does and what Marines do.
“The Marines are warfighters, and they come with rules of engagement and tools and equipment that they would normally use under those circumstances,” Hillman said. “This situation has serious consequences. It puts the United States Marine Corps and the warfighters in the position where they are having to deal with domestic incidents on domestic soil.”
Abbott says Texas will 'use every tool' to ensure order, including the National Guard
Gov. Greg Abbott said today that the Texas National Guard will be deployed because he doesn't want Texas to become California.
“Texas is a law-and-order state, and we will use every tool that we can to ensure order across our state,” Abbott said at a question-and-answer session at an event for an unrelated bill signing.
He declined to provide details about what tactics would be used, saying, “You will see them arise in response to what we see on the ground.”
He also said law enforcement officials are prepared to make arrests.
“You break the law, you cross the line, you will be arrested,” he said. “There is freedom of speech. However, if, in your protest, you damage somebody’s property or you harm an individual, that’s violating the law, and you will be arrested for it.”
Abbott announced plans on X early this morning to deploy the National Guard across the state in anticipation of an protest scheduled in San Antonio.
'Of course' Trump would be fine with peaceful protests, White House says
Trump has no problem with peaceful protests and would be fine with them if they happen Saturday during the military parade set in downtown Washington, D.C., White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters today.
“The president absolutely supports peaceful protests,” she said when she was asked what protests he would view as acceptable after he threatened yesterday that protesters would be met with “very heavy force.” She added that Trump “does not support violence of any kind.”
If there are peaceful protests Saturday, Leavitt said, “of course” Trump would be fine with them. “What a stupid question,” she said.
DOJ says California's bid to block troops puts lives at danger
The Trump administration formally responded to California’s legal bid to block the military from getting involved in immigration enforcement, calling the state's lawsuit a “crass political stunt” that is “endangering American lives.”
The president “has every right under the Constitution and by statute to call forth the National Guard and Marines to quell lawless violence directed against enforcement of federal law,” the Justice Department’s filing said.
The filing argues that “instead of working to bring order to Los Angeles,” Newsom sued seeking a court order “limiting the federal government’s ability to protect its property and officials.”
The filing is a response to Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s request for a temporary restraining order to bar National Guard troops and Marines that Trump sent to Los Angeles from getting involved in immigration enforcement activities.
The state’s filing says that it does not seek to prevent those forces “from protecting the safety of federal buildings” or “federal personnel on such property” but that it would be unlawful for them to get involved with law enforcement activities.
Two sources told NBC News the Marines could be used to provide security and transportation for ICE personnel as they continue to arrest immigrants. The Justice Department filing maintains neither “the National Guard nor the Marines are engaged in law enforcement. Rather, they are protecting law enforcement, consistent with longstanding practice and the inherent protective power to provide for the safety of federal property and personnel.”
A judge is scheduled to hear arguments on the state’s request tomorrow.
20 Republican state AGs support Trump's efforts to deploy troops
The attorneys general of 19 states and the territory of Guam are making known their support for Trump’s decision to send National Guard members and the Marines to Los Angeles.
The Republican attorneys general asked a judge to allow them to submit a “friend of the court” brief, saying Trump’s actions are “responsible, constitutional, and authorized by statute.”
“Given the volatile situation, it is no surprise that President Trump called in federal service members and units of the National Guard to protect federal law enforcement and other officials that execute the laws of the United States,” they said in the brief. “Indeed, given the violent reaction, the President was ‘unable with the regular forces’ of ICE and other law enforcement to ‘execute the laws of the United States.’”
The attorneys general are from Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Guam, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Utah.
Bass and L.A.-area mayors say raids are creating atmosphere of fear
Bass and several other Los Angeles-area mayors condemned the ICE raids in their region, saying residents are living in fear.
“A week ago, everything was peaceful in the city of Los Angeles. ... Things began to be difficult on Friday when raids took place, and it’s important that I begin there, because that is the cause of the problems that have happened in the city of Los Angeles and other cities,” Bass said at a news conference today. “This was provoked by the White House.”
Bass slammed the Trump administration for trying to cause “fear and panic,” adding that deploying Marines and National Guard troops was a “drastic and chaotic escalation and completely unnecessary.”
Other city leaders agreed.
"No one deserves to live in fear simply for seeking a better life or for seeking a better life for themselves or their loved ones," Ventura Mayor Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios said.
Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons said that her community has been “deeply shaken” by the raids and that some people are avoiding going to work out of fear.
Mario Trujillo, a City Council member in Downey, said that there were raids this morning and that an elderly man was detained while he was dropping off his granddaughter at school.
"These raids at Home Depots, restaurants, places of worship or schools are not keeping our community safe," he said. "They are creating havoc and fear. This is not the way to provide public safety to the community.”
Sen. Chris Coons condemns deploying Marines and National Guard to L.A.
Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said the Marines and National Guard members being deployed to Los Angeles are not "appropriately trained on the legal limits of their mission."
"Our Marines are trained for combat in the Indo-Pacific, not for securing the streets of Los Angeles," he said. "And in a situation where state and local law enforcement leaders have repeatedly said they had everything under control, there is no crisis or insurrection that justifies the use of combat troops. I would urge that the administration and the secretary reconsider."
Coons said having Marines and National Guard members out on the streets puts them at risk and puts "our global reputation at risk."
"Every dictator in the world who wants to use his own troops against his own people when they protest is encouraged by the visuals," he said.
Coons also criticized Trump’s military parade this weekend, comparing it to similar events in "capitals like Moscow, Beijing and Pyongyang."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., told NBC News that he’s "OK" with the parade but doesn’t know whether he will attend.
"I think that the men and women in the parade are not goose-stepping soldiers. They’re proud Americans, and it’s the 250th anniversary of the Army. We should all celebrate it," he said.
More than 200 face charge of failure to disperse after curfew, Los Angeles police say
More than 200 people were arrested after, police said, they failed to leave downtown in compliance with Bass’ curfew. They face a charge of failure to disperse.
In addition, 17 people were arrested on a charge of curfew violation, Los Angeles police said. Others were taken into custody on charges of possessing a firearm, assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer and discharging a laser at a police airship.
Police said two officers were injured and were being treated but did not say what caused their injuries.
Sen. Murphy presses Hegseth on concerns over ‘double standard’ in response to protesters
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., pressed Hegseth about a “double standard” in responding to protesters who support Trump versus those who oppose him.
Murphy pointed to Trump’s response to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and asked Hegseth whether it was the right decision to deploy the National Guard to respond to Jan. 6.
“All I know is it’s the right decision to be deploying the National Guard in Los Angeles to defend ICE agents who deserve to be defended in the execution of their jobs,” Hegseth responded.
When he was asked again, Hegseth said he supported Trump's request for the National Guard on Jan. 6 but claimed that his request was denied.
The Jan. 6 committee did not find evidence to support Trump’s claim that he offered then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi National Guard troops.
After the attack on the Capitol, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said the Army secretary had been responsible for making decisions related to the National Guard’s response. Months after the attack, two senior U.S. military officials involved in the Jan. 6 response denied that they advised against deploying the National Guard.
Nebraska official says ICE raids are 'incredibly sad,' leave community in fear
Roger Garcia, a member of the County Commission in Douglas County, Nebraska, said the ICE raids are "incredibly sad" and have forced some Latino businesses to shut down.
"It’s just incredibly sad that people woke up to just go to work to provide for their families, to contribute to our local economy here in Omaha, and they end up in the midst of chaos as a surprise ICE raid comes to their company," he said today on MSNBC. "There’s a lot of confusion, and it was a very difficult and messy day.”
Garcia said Latino businesses shut down early yesterday out of fear.
They "locked their doors and went home or hunkered down in their own business," he said. "Today, many of those businesses are staying closed because of the fear that has been instilled in our community."
Man arrested after authorities say he threw a lit Molotov cocktail at L.A. law enforcement
A man was arrested and charged with attempted murder after, authorities said, he threw a lit Molotov cocktail at law enforcement during a protest in Los Angeles on Saturday.
Immigration agents arrested Emiliano Garduno-Galvez, 23, on Monday, the Department of Homeland Security said today in a news release. The agency said Garduno-Galvez is from Mexico and is in the United States illegally.
In the past, Garduno-Galve was arrested in Anaheim on suspicion of grand theft and in Long Beach for a DUI and was deported, DHS said.
"These are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect,” Assistant Homeland Security Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “The Los Angeles rioters will not stop us or slow us down. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Another man, Wrackkie Quiogue, 27, was also taken into custody on suspicion of possessing a Molotov cocktail while holding a lighter during a protest in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday. Police saw him "with the device and quickly arrested him," the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California said.
"As Quiogue attempted to flee arrest, he threw the Molotov," the office said in a news release.
Two other people, Christian Andres Garcia and Rene Luna, were arrested and charged with assault. Garcia is accused of throwing objects at law enforcement outside a Homeland Security Investigations office, and Luna is accused of tossing water bottles and beer cans at officers.
700 Marines are mobilized and in the Los Angeles area
A defense official said 700 Marines are mobilized and in the Los Angeles area but are not on city streets as part of Task Force 51. The official said that some Marines could be sent out as early as today but that there are no orders to do so at this point.
The Marines are still going through some basic training about the standard rules of force.
Kim Kardashian condemns ICE raids: 'There HAS to be a BETTER way'
Kim Kardashian spoke out about the "inhumane" treatment of "innocent, hardworking people being ripped from their families."
"Growing up in L.A., I’ve seen how deeply immigrants are woven into the fabric of this city. They are our neighbors, friends, classmates, coworkers, and family," she said in an Instagram story. "No matter where you fall politically, it’s clear that our communities thrive because of the contributions of immigrants. We can’t turn a blind eye when fear and injustice keep people from living their lives freely and safely."
Chicago police issue statement ahead of Saturday's protest
Chicago police said they are ready to "protect those exercising their First Amendment Rights" ahead of a planned ICE protest on Saturday.
"With public safety as our top priority, our planning and training for First Amendment assemblies are rooted in constitutional policing and the safety of all those participating, working, and living in the affected areas," the department said in a statement.
It added, "As we protect these assemblies, we will not tolerate any criminal activity or violence. Those in violation of the law will be held accountable."
Homeland Security posts drone footage of L.A. demonstrators
Homeland Security posted what it says is drone footage of demonstrators in Los Angeles and called on politicians to end what it called a “rioting mob.”
“This is not calm. This is not peaceful,” the agency said Tuesday in a post on X.
The video showed a person in the middle of the street appearing to hit a van, and black smoke billowing from a car that was on fire. Protesters are seen swarming the city streets and sidewalks.
But Mayor Karen Bass said that trying to paint a picture of chaos in the city "is just not true." In a Wednesday "Morning Joe" interview, Bass said there was no looting or vandalism on Tuesday night.
"We are a city of 3.8 million, 500 square miles. This is happening over about five or six streets in downtown Los Angeles," she said.
Bass said having National Guard members deployed in city streets is "completely unnecessary."
"There is no need for this. The city handled things perfectly last night and will continue to do so," she said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom said that a majority of protesters in the city did so peacefully. He slammed President Donald Trump for commandeering thousands of the state’s National Guard members, calling it a "brazen abuse of power."
A curfew was issued for downtown Los Angeles beginning Tuesday night. The mayor did warn that vandalism wouldn't be tolerated.
"I do not believe that individuals that commit vandalism and violence in our city really are in support of immigrants; they have another agenda. If you support immigrants and the rights of immigrants to be in our city, you would not be tearing the city apart," Bass said at a press conference.
San Antonio did not get warning of Guard deployment, mayor says
Outgoing San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Wednesday that he did not ask Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to send state National Guard troops into the city, "nor did we get any advance warning."
Abbott said he would deploy Texas Guard troops across the state ahead of a planned protest in San Antonio.
Nirenberg held a news conference with the city’s police chief and city manager to urge peaceful protest and safety at a Wednesday evening rally that the police chief said would be held at the Alamo.
Nirenburg, ending eight years in office next Wednesday, said he empathizes with the "serious fatigue this federal administration is causing within our community" but expressed support for Police Chief William McManus’ call for peaceful protest and plans to respond to property damage or violence.
"I’m confident San Antonio knows how to do this right," Nirenberg said.
He opened the news conference by saying he acknowledged the "anger and frustration ... with the government's crude interpretations of immigration law and cruel approach to human rights."
McManus said the city has everything it needs to handle the protests, is prepared for a peaceful operation, and is “planning for the worst" should it occur.
EXCLUSIVE: ICE prepares to deploy tactical agents to several Democratic-led cities
ICE is preparing to deploy its Special Response Teams to five cities run by Democratic leaders, two sources familiar with the planning of the future operations told NBC News today.
The Special Response Teams (SRTs) are tactical units under ICE that use BearCat tracked vehicles, long guns and tactical vests in operations considered high risk. They were used in the raid on Sean “Diddy” Combs’ home, for example.
They were most recently used in Los Angeles and are seen as among the reasons protests began.
The sources said the SRTs have been ordered to deploy in Seattle, Chicago, Philadelphia, northern Virginia and New York.
It is not clear that the raids in those cities will begin immediately, but all SRT units in those areas have been told to be ready to deploy, the sources said.
Los Angeles curfew now in effect
Mayor Karen Bass said Tuesday night that a curfew will be in effect in the Los Angeles area, where protests have occurred.
According to the mayor's office, the curfew is effective from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. in downtown Los Angeles. It covers the area between the U.S. 110, I-5 and I-10 freeways and extends north of the 101 into Chinatown and Elysian Park until the 5 and the 110 meet.
Trump: Protesters at his military parade will face ‘very big force’
As preparations continue for a massive military parade that marks the Army’s 250th anniversary and falls on President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday, the president is shrugging off Republican criticism of the $45 million spectacle coming to Washington, D.C., and promising that protesters will be “met with very big force.”
It comes as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth faced new scrutiny over the president’s decision to deploy the National Guard and the Marines to Los Angeles in response to immigration protests.
Texas to deploy National Guard across the state over protests
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he’ll deploy the National Guard to locations across the state "to ensure peace and order" ahead of a planned protest in San Antonio.
"Peaceful protest is legal. Harming a person or property is illegal & will lead to arrest. @TexasGuard will use every tool & strategy to help law enforcement maintain order," Abbott wrote on X late Tuesday local time.