Los Angeles mayor issues curfew for Downtown amid ongoing protests

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday imposed a curfew for part of the city’s downtown following several days of intense protests sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.

The demonstrations have resulted in clashes between protesters and law enforcement, as well as incidents of vandalism and looting, particularly during nighttime hours.

The curfew, effective from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday, applies to a one-square-mile area in downtown Los Angeles.

Earlier in the day, hundreds of U.S. Marines arrived in the Los Angeles area under orders from President Donald Trump. This move coincided with the announcement of the curfew and the arrest of 197 people during the fifth consecutive day of protests.

President Trump also activated 4,000 National Guard troops to quell unrest in the city, despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom, who called the deployment unnecessary, unlawful, and politically motivated.

Los Angeles has seen five consecutive days of public demonstrations since the federal government began a new wave of immigration raids last Friday. Law enforcement reported 197 arrests on Tuesday alone. Mayor Bass stated that the curfew in downtown may extend for several days, depending on conditions.

Despite incidents of unrest, state and local officials have criticized the federal response as a disproportionate reaction to what they describe as largely peaceful protests.

Approximately 700 Marines were stationed at a staging area in Seal Beach, about 30 miles south of downtown Los Angeles, awaiting potential deployment, according to a U.S. official.

California Senators Adam Schiff and Alex Padilla released a joint statement expressing concern over the use of active-duty military personnel. “Such mobilizations should occur only in the most extreme circumstances—and these are not them,” the statement read.

During a speech at Fort Bragg in North Carolina on Tuesday, President Trump defended his actions, stating: “Generations of Army heroes did not shed their blood on distant shores only to watch our country be destroyed by invasion and third-world lawlessness.”

He went on to say: “What you’re witnessing in California is a full-blown assault on peace, on public order, and on national sovereignty, carried out by rioters bearing foreign flags.” Trump vowed that his administration would "liberate Los Angeles."

Protesters have waved flags from Mexico and other countries in solidarity with migrants targeted in the recent raids.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement has recently been arresting an average of 2,000 individuals per day significantly higher than the daily average of 311 during fiscal year 2024 under former President Joe Biden.