Federal govt will step in, says Donald Trump amid tensions in Los Angeles over immigration operations

Protests broke out in the city of Paramount, Los Angeles, on Saturday after it appeared that federal law enforcement officers were conducting another operation, CBS News reported.

The protests were sparked by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Los Angeles, which resulted in multiple arrests on Friday.

The department reported a large crowd gathered on the 6400 block of Paramount Boulevard at around 12:42 pm, blocking traffic, as per CBS News.

Following the protests, Trump shared a post on his 'Truth Social', saying "If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!"

While addressing a press conference Saturday afternoon, Sheriff Robert Luna said that up to 400 people gathered for protests in Paramount, prompting the department to declare an unlawful assembly. Authorities urged the crowd to "disperse peacefully without any violence."

He said that non-lethal munitions were fired by federal agents prior to deputies' arrival.

According to CBS News, the California Highway Patrol is preparing for potential protests on the 710 Freeway, but as of 3 pm, no freeway lanes have been obstructed.

The LA County Fire Department said that one person was transported to a local hospital from the scene around 12:45 pm The extent of their injuries isn't yet clear.

At the scene, several dozen protesters gathered on the streets, with some attempting to block a US Marshals Service bus and others throwing rocks and objects at law enforcement vehicles.

Later on Saturday, Protests continued on the border of Paramount and Compton, with hundreds of demonstrators gathering around a burning car in an intersection. Some individuals performed burnouts on their vehicles, while others rode dirt bikes around the fire, waving flags.

Authorities, some wearing riot gear, observed from a distance. Fire trucks arrived and quickly extinguished the flames. Deputies formed a perimeter around the intersection during the firefighting effort.

However, the situation escalated as some protesters sprayed graffiti on a building and threw objects at police. The LAPD declared an unlawful assembly and ordered the crowd to disperse. Officers in riot gear formed a skirmish line, pushing the crowd back and clearing the area.

Dozens of arrests were made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Los Angeles on Friday, sparking large-scale protests on Saturday. The ICE operation targeted areas including the Westlake District, downtown LA, and South LA on Friday.

According to ICE, a total of 118 arrests have been made in LA this week, with 44 of those occurring on Friday.

"ICE officers and agents, alongside partner law enforcement agencies, executed four federal search warrants at three locations in central Los Angeles," the spokesperson, Yasmeen Pitts O'Keefe, said. "Approximately 44 people were administratively arrested and one arrest for obstruction. The investigation remains ongoing; updates will follow as appropriate."

She confirmed that at least one of the warrants executed was related to the "harbouring of people illegally in the country." 

(This story has not been edited by DNA staff and is published from ANI)