Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency and imposed a curfew in parts of Downtown LA in response to five days of escalating pro-migrant protests that have disrupted the city.

The curfew, effective from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m., covers a one-square-mile area and aims to curb vandalism and looting following violent demonstrations sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids targeting undocumented immigrants.

The unrest began on June 6, 2025, following ICE operations that detained over 300 individuals, according to the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles.

Protesters, opposing President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, have clashed with law enforcement, set vehicles ablaze, looted businesses, and defaced buildings with graffiti.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported a sharp increase in arrests, with 27 on Saturday, 40 on Sunday, 114 on Monday, and nearly 200 by Tuesday evening.

On Tuesday afternoon, demonstrators blocked the 101 Freeway, causing significant traffic disruptions. The California Highway Patrol (CHP) used batons to disperse the crowd, detaining at least one protester.

Such actions have fueled tensions, with reports of law enforcement using stun grenades and pepper spray to manage crowds.

Mayor Bass, after tense meetings with LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and senior officials, announced the curfew and local emergency to restore order.

“Some of the imagery of the protests and the violence gives the appearance as though this is a citywide crisis, and it is not,” Bass stated, emphasizing that the measures target areas with the most intense unrest.

She urged residents to avoid Downtown LA unless they live or work there, warning that curfew violators will face arrest and prosecution.

Bass condemned the vandalism, noting that at least 23 businesses have been looted. She stressed that such acts undermine the cause of immigrant rights, saying, “Anyone who vandalized Downtown or looted stores does not care about our immigrant communities.

You will be held accountable.” The mayor expects the curfew to last several days, with ongoing consultations with law enforcement to assess its continuation.

The protests escalated after President Trump deployed 2,100 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to assist the LAPD, a move that drew sharp criticism from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

Newsom filed an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order, arguing that the federalization of the California National Guard violates state sovereignty.

A federal judge, Charles Breyer, denied an immediate order but scheduled a hearing for Thursday, June 12, 2025, to address the issue.

Newsom called the deployment “illegal” and “immoral,” while Trump defended it as necessary to “defend the republic” and “stop an invasion.”

He labeled the protests an “assault on peace and public order” and suggested, without evidence, that “troublemakers” might be paid agitators. These conflicting narratives have intensified the political divide, with Bass caught between local demands for peace and federal enforcement actions.