LA Protests: Immigration Raids Spark Unrest

Los Angeles has been gripped by violent protests following a series of immigration raids, leading to dozens of arrests and the controversial deployment of National Guard troops. The unrest, which began on Friday, was triggered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations in areas with significant Latino populations, part of President Trump's intensified crackdown on illegal immigration.

The epicenter of the protests has been downtown Los Angeles, declared an "unlawful assembly" area by police after days of clashes. Demonstrators have engaged in acts of civil disobedience, including setting vehicles ablaze and allegedly using incendiary devices against mounted police units. Law enforcement, equipped with riot gear, has responded with crowd control measures such as flash-bang grenades and pepper spray.

In a move that has ignited a political firestorm, President Trump invoked a rarely-used federal law to deploy 2,000 National Guard troops to the area, bypassing the traditional request from the state governor. This action has been vehemently opposed by California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who argue that local police are capable of managing the situation. The unprecedented use of federal troops without state consent has raised questions about the balance of power between state and federal authorities in handling domestic unrest.