Los Angeles mayor imposes overnight curfew on downtown as protests spread

The protests, which began in Los Angeles in response to immigration enforcement raids and led President Donald Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines, are now spreading across the country.

Demonstrations have erupted in cities such as Seattle, Austin, Chicago, and Washington, D.C., with marchers chanting slogans, holding anti-ICE signs, and blocking traffic near federal buildings.

While many protests have remained peaceful, some have turned tense, with clashes between protesters and police involving arrests and the use of chemical agents.

Protests have also been reported in New York City, San Francisco, and Santa Ana, where demonstrators confronted law enforcement after local immigration raids.

Activists are planning more widespread demonstrations in the coming days, including “No Kings” events nationwide on Saturday, to coincide with Trump’s scheduled military parade in Washington.

California Governor Gavin Newsom on Tuesday criticised President Donald Trump’s actions, saying he is "pulling a military dragnet" across Los Angeles during a brief public statement.

The Democratic governor’s comments followed Trump’s order to deploy nearly 5,000 personnel – including National Guard troops and Marines – to Los Angeles. While initially tasked with guarding federal buildings, the troops are now also assisting immigration agents in making arrests.

Newsom said Trump’s immigration efforts have extended far beyond targeting criminals, claiming that “dishwashers, gardeners, day labourers and seamstresses” are among those being detained.