Protests in Los Angeles escalated for a third consecutive night as thousands took to the streets to voice opposition to President Donald Trump’s unprecedented deployment of the National Guard. The demonstrations, concentrated in the downtown area, intensified Sunday amid growing tensions over the arrival of roughly 300 Guard troops tasked with protecting federal facilities, including the Metropolitan Detention Center, a focal point of the protests.

The presence of the National Guard, activated without the governor’s consent for the first time in decades, sparked anger and fear among residents. Governor Gavin Newsom formally requested the removal of the troops, describing their deployment as a “serious breach of state sovereignty.” This move marked a notable escalation in the administration’s efforts to enforce its immigration policies amid widespread local resistance.

Over the weekend, protests initially began Friday in central Los Angeles and soon spread to surrounding areas such as Paramount - a city with a significant Latino population - and Compton. Federal agents carried out immigrant arrests at multiple locations, including LA’s fashion district and parking lots near Home Depot stores. Although agents were stationed near a Homeland Security office in Paramount on Saturday, officials later confirmed no enforcement actions took place at the nearby Home Depot, despite suspicions from protesters.

During Sunday’s protests, demonstrators blocked a major highway and set fire to at least two self-driving cars, images of which circulated widely on social media. Law enforcement responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, and flashbang devices to disperse the crowds. The entire downtown area was declared an unlawful assembly zone as officers worked to clear protest sites, resulting in several arrests.

The activation of the National Guard without the governor’s approval was a rare and significant federal intervention, last seen in 1965 when President Lyndon B. Johnson sent troops to protect civil rights marchers in Alabama.

Meanwhile, President Trump’s controversial travel ban took effect Monday, barring entry to citizens from 12 countries, including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, and Iran. Heightened restrictions also apply to travelers from additional nations, further escalating tensions around immigration and border control policies. The travel ban echoes a similar policy from Trump’s first presidential term, which was later reversed by President Joe Biden.