Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in Democratic-run cities, including Los Angeles

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Last updated: Tuesday, June 17, 2025 5:54AM GMT
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LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- President Trump is calling for even more expanded deportation operations in several major cities across the country, including Los Angeles.

Trump in a social media posting called on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials "to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History."

The moves comes after large protests erupted in L.A. and other major cities against the Trump administration's immigration policies.

So far, it's not known how exactly that will impact L.A. But Sunday, at the president's directions, the Department of Homeland Security said it would pause most raids on farms, restaurants and hotels.

The Trump administration has continued widespread immigration enforcement activities -- with a reported goal of up to 3,000 deportations per day.

The Los Angeles Police Department has arrested 575 people related to protest activity since they started earlier this month, police said Sunday, including 14 for looting.

Last week, President Donald Trump deployed 4,000 California National Guard troops and 700 Marines to tamp down the disruptive demonstrations while the immigration raids continue.

A federal court hearing is set for Tuesday to determine whether Trump or California Gov. Gavin Newsom will control future National Guard activity going forward. Newsom challenged Trump's decision to federalize the Guard, an action U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer in San Francisco said in a ruling last week did not follow congressionally mandated procedure.

His ruling was stayed by a three-judge appellate panel of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in response to a Trump administration notice of appeal, temporarily keeping the National Guard troops under federal control, at least through Tuesday.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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Jun 09, 2025, 11:23 PM GMT

Waymo suspends service in downtown LA

Waymo announced Monday it is temporarily suspending service in downtown L.A. after several of its self-driving cars were torched Sunday. The self-driving cars will still operate in other parts of the city. Waymo cars use lithium-ion batteries, which release toxic gases into the air when burned.

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Jun 09, 2025, 11:33 PM GMT

Small group protests ICE raid outside Whittier Home Depot

Several people were reportedly taken into custody in an ICE raid outside a Home Depot in Whittier on Monday.

Video from the scene shows a group of protesters gathered outside the store.

Several people were reportedly taken into custody in an ICE raid outside a Home Depot in Whittier on Monday.

A witness told Eyewitness News that about 10 people were taken into custody. Another witness said he was detained but later released after showing paperwork to prove he is in the country legally.

The city of Whittier confirmed that federal immigration officials were also present Monday at the Whittier Public Library parking lot and in front of Whittier City Hall.

In a statement on social media, the city said it did not receive any advanced alerts regarding the ICE activity.

The city of Whittier emphasized that it is not housing any ICE detainees and it is not working with any federal immigration agencies.

"We understand how stressful and upsetting this is for many in our community. We urge residents to remain calm, avoid confrontation, and prioritize personal safety," the city wrote in a statement. "We remain committed to transparency and will continue to share updates as we receive new information."

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Jun 09, 2025, 11:06 PM GMT

City of Los Angeles goes on 'Tactical Alert' as protests continue

The Los Angeles Police Department announced on Monday that the city is going on "Tactical Alert."

"The City of Los Angeles has declared a Tactical Alert," the LAPD wrote on X. "All uniformed personnel are to remain on duty."

The term signifies a heightened level of response and preparedness where officers can be kept on past their shift end time and moved around between divisions.

This type of response is often deployed when major events occur in the city, which require significant resources.

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Jun 09, 2025, 10:07 PM GMT

National Guard is armed but have no bullets in chamber, officials say

The National Guardsmen on active duty in Los Angeles are carrying weapons but don't have rounds in the chamber, and they aren't using rubber bullets or pepper spray, according to a U.S. official.

The Rules of Force that they are operating under call for them to de-escalate any incidents as much as possible, two U.S. officials said. They also have the right to self-defense.

The Marines and the National Guard personnel receiving orders to deploy to LA will operate under similar rules of force, according to two U.S. officials. That means they're tasked with protecting federal buildings and federal personnel only; they won't patrol streets, try to engage people or detain rioters on behalf of police, the officials said.

These Marines and guard personnel aren't using rubber bullets or pepper spray either, but they will carry ammunition as part of their uniforms that can be used in the rare case of self-defense, the officials said.

U.S. Northern Command confirmed Monday it has activated the approximately 700 Marines to join some 2,100 National Guard soldiers in what it is referring to as Task Force 51.

Task Force 51 forces are protecting federal personnel and property and "have been trained in de-escalation, crowd control, and standing rules for the use of force," it said.