LA remains on edge: Governor to sue Trump as National Guard deployment sparks uproar | Latest updates

Law enforcement take positions on the streets surrounding the federal building during a protest following federal immigration operations in Los Angeles, California, on June 8, 2025.

Los Angeles remained on edge Monday after violent clashes between demonstrators and security forces over immigration raids, with the Californian governor vowing to sue President Donald Trump for deploying National Guard soldiers.

Police stood watch after ordering people not to gather in the city's downtown where cars were torched over the weekend and security forces fired tear gas at protesters.

Here are the top updates on the violent protests that have rocked Los Angeles:

California Governor plans to sue Trump

California Governor Gavin Newsom said he planned to file a lawsuit Monday against Trump in response to the administration's extraordinary deployment of the National Guard to confront immigration protesters who took to the streets in Los Angeles.

“Commandeering a state’s National Guard without consulting the governor of that state is illegal and immoral,” Newsom, a Democrat, told MSNBC on Sunday.

"This is exactly what Donald Trump wanted," Governor Gavin Newsom said on social media. "He flamed the fires and illegally acted to federalize the National Guard."

"We're suing him."

White House pins blame on Biden

The White House also ratcheted up the standoff between the hard-charging Republican president and California's Democrat-led authorities.

"Gavin Newsom did nothing as violent riots erupted in Los Angeles for days," Trump's Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt posted Monday. "President Trump has stepped in to maintain law and order."

She added that "America must reverse the invasion unleashed by (former president) Joe Biden of millions of unvetted illegal aliens into our country."

Trump blames ‘insurrectionists’ for unrest

Trump blamed "insurrectionists" for unrest in Los Angeles, after he sent in National Guard troops to quell protests against immigration raids.

"The people that are causing the problems are professional agitators and insurrectionists," Trump told reporters at the White House.

"They're bad people, they should be in jail," he added when asked about the clashes occurring in parts of the second biggest US city.

Trump, however, did not give evidence of why the street protesters are insurrectionists.

He did not reply when asked several times by reporters whether he plans to invoke the Insurrection Act, which would allow the military to be used as a domestic police force.

Trump calls troops deployment 'great decision'

Trump congratulated himself for making a "great decision" to deploy National Guard troops to quell protests in Los Angeles, against the wishes of the California governor and city mayor.

"If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated," Trump said on Truth Social, as parts of the California city remained on edge after three days of clashes between demonstrators and police forces over Trump's immigration raids.

Situation on the ground

On Monday morning, a heavy police presence patrolled mostly deserted streets. A few protesters remained overnight, with some lobbing projectiles and fireworks, according to TV coverage.

Trump called the protesters "insurrectionists," and demanded authorities arrest people in face masks.

"BRING IN THE TROOPS!!!!" he wrote on his Truth Social platform.

At least three self-driving Waymo cars were torched Sunday, and local law enforcement deployed tear gas and smoke grenades to disperse protesters.

An Australian reporter was hit in the leg with a rubber bullet fired by a police officer on live television. Her employer later said she was unharmed.

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers set up containment lines to keep demonstrators separated from armed National Guardsmen from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team in helmets and camouflage gear.

At least 56 people were arrested over two days and three officers suffered minor injuries, the LAPD said.

Police in San Francisco said on Sunday about 60 people had been arrested in similar protests in the northern Californian city.

Trump was unrepentant when asked about the use of troops, hinting at deployment nationwide.

"You're going to see some very strong law and order," he told reporters Sunday.