Amid a storm of protest and arrests in downtown Los Angeles, immigration authorities appear to be intensifying operations across Southern California as federal officials vow to press ahead with a crackdown on workers and residents without proper documents.

In June 2025, as immigration enforcement actions sparked protests in Los Angeles, a claim (archived) circulated that a video authentically showed burning, graffitied police cars during protests in the city in June 2025. One X user posted the footage on June 8, 2025, captioned "Absolute CHAOS in Los Angeles right now…"

The U.S. government has deployed National Guard and Marines in the city where police have used rubber bullets and tear gas — a repeat of June 2013 scenes that flared in Rio de Janeiro three years before the Brazilian city hosted the Olympics.

Authorities are investigating a Wednesday morning crash in Los Angeles' Boyle Heights neighborhood as a possible assault with a deadly weapon involving federal agents who allegedly fled the scene, according to KABC.

“Multiple groups continue to congregate on 1st St between Spring and Alameda. Those groups are being addressed and mass arrests are being initiated. Curfew is in effect,” read a post on the LAPD’s social media, sent at 9:09p.m local time on Tuesday night.

Newsom filed a lawsuit Monday in response to Trump ordering the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard members to Los Angeles following protests over his stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws. They were originally called in to protect federal buildings, and the president later ordered the deployment of 700 Marines.

Ruben Salazar died 55 years ago while covering a protest in LA. His case illustrates the dangers journalists face today as police fire “less lethal munitions” into crowds.

Video footage captured a person DHS says is the suspect who threw a Molotov cocktail at police on June 7.