Mayor Karen Bass Declares Emergency, Imposes Downtown LA Curfew Amid Escalating ICE Protests
Mayor Karen Bass Declares Emergency, Imposes Downtown LA Curfew Amid Escalating ICE Protests
Protests over federal immigration sweeps prompt looting, freeway blockades, and a curfew as 4,000 troops — including Marines — descend on LA under Trump’s orders.
Los Angeles [US], June 11: In the wake of intensifying protests and scattered violence following federal immigration raids, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has imposed a citywide emergency and announced a curfew for Downtown Los Angeles starting Tuesday night.
The curfew will run from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and could remain in effect for several days, pending daily reassessment.
“Everyone must abide by this curfew,” said Mayor Bass during a press briefing. “Limited exceptions apply for residents, people traveling to and from work, and credentialed media representatives.”
The curfew zone spans a one-square-mile radius bordered by the 5 and 110 Freeways, and between the 10 Freeway and the junction of the 5 and 110. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell warned that those caught within the curfew zone without legal exemption will face immediate arrest.
The emergency measures come after five consecutive days of demonstrations across the city, sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids and escalated by President Donald Trump’s controversial deployment of 4,000 federal troops, including 2,000 National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines.
Federal and local law enforcement fired non-lethal tear gas and issued dispersal orders Tuesday outside the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Downtown LA, where hundreds of demonstrators had gathered. Protesters were heard chanting, “This is what democracy looks like!” and were seen throwing water bottles at officers.
Later, a splinter group broke through a chain-link fence onto the Hollywood (101) Freeway, blocking traffic in both directions before being forcibly removed by the California Highway Patrol (CHP). At least two protesters were detained.
According to the LAPD, 96 people were arrested Monday night, most for failure to disperse. Additional charges included assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, vandalism, and looting — the latter resulting in 14 arrests. Two officers sustained injuries but were later released from hospital care.
Mayor Bass condemned the violence and looting in a statement on social media, emphasizing that such acts were “unauthorized and not representative of the peaceful immigrant-rights demonstrators.”
Trump’s militarized response has drawn sharp criticism from California leaders. Despite objections from Governor Gavin Newsom, Bass, and other city officials, the Trump administration ordered additional troops into LA on Monday and instructed them to secure federal buildings and personnel. The Pentagon later disclosed the operation’s cost at $134 million.
California responded by suing the federal government to overturn Trump’s federalization order and filed an emergency motion seeking a restraining order to block the deployment of both the National Guard and the Marines. A hearing date is yet to be confirmed.
Newsom harshly rebuked the deployment, stating:
“Marines shouldn’t be deployed on American soil facing their own countrymen to fulfill the deranged fantasy of a dictatorial president. This is un-American.”
LAPD Chief McDonnell echoed concerns over coordination, admitting his department had received no formal notification regarding the Marines’ arrival. He warned that their uncoordinated presence could create a “significant logistical and operational challenge” for city law enforcement.
As the situation unfolds, all eyes remain on whether the courts will halt the federal deployments—and whether calm can return to a city now symbolizing the deepening rift over immigration enforcement and executive power in America.
