Shaun
Tensions remained high in Downtown Los Angeles for a fourth straight day as protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) gripped the city, with demonstrators clashing with law enforcement and setting vehicles on fire downtown.
On Monday, hundreds, if not thousands, of people gathered for a rally at Gloria Molina Grand Park in Downtown Los Angeles, where civil rights and labor leaders demanded the release of union leader David Huerta from federal detention after he was arrested during an immigration enforcement action on Friday. He was later released on a $50,000 bond.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he has been informed that an additional 2,000 National Guard troops are being sent to Los Angeles, after President Donald Trump previously deployed 2,000 troops.
In addition, U.S. officials said 700 Marines from Twentynine Palms, California, have also been ordered to assist in Los Angeles and should be in the city within 24 hours.
The number of National Guard troops on the ground in the Los Angeles area has risen from 300 to 1,700, the Defense Department said in an update Monday evening.
The guardsmen are from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a California National Guard unit. They are operating under Task Force 51, which also includes 700 Marines, to protect federal personnel and property, U.S. NORTHCOM said in a statement.
President Donald Trump’s memo over the weekend authorized a deployment of 2,000 National Guardsmen amid unrest during protests over immigration enforcement in the LA area.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he had been informed Trump planned to deploy an additional 2,000 National Guard troops.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has identified a man who is wanted for throwing rocks at police and law enforcement vehicles during the protest in Paramount on Saturday.
The suspect has been identified as 40-year-old Elpidio Reyna, from nearby Compton, and is wanted for assault on a federal officer, according to the FBI.
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $50,000 for information about the suspect, leading to his arrest and conviction.
The incident happened at approximately 3:30 p.m. on Saturday, according to the FBI, when the suspect threw rocks at law enforcement vehicles on Alondra Boulevard in Paramount, injuring a federal officer and damaging government vehicles.
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called on the Trump administration to stop immigration raids in the city, saying the fear and uncertainty they have created have led to the unrest.
“I am hopeful that the federal government will hear our plea: Stop the raids,” Bass said. “This is creating fear and chaos in our city, and it is unnecessary. And I hope that we will be heard because our city is trying to move forward and I believe that the federal government should be supportive of us moving forward.”
Bass said she spoke to members of the Trump administration over the weekend, urging the federal government not to deploy the National Guard. Bass said she has not spoken directly to President Donald Trump.
“It makes me feel like our city is actually a test case, a test case for what happens when the federal government moves in and takes the authority away from the state or away from local government,” she told reporters during a news conference Monday. “I don’t think that our city should be used for an experiment.”
