Since Friday 6 June 2025, Los Angeles has been hit by a series of protests, some of them resulting in clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement. As locals are protesting agains searches and arrests made by the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), travellers should remain vigilant.
Los Angeles is not only the second-largest city in the US, it is also a place where many cultures meet and blend. Many of its local residents have foreign – often Mexican – ancestry and it is thought that approximately 900,000 undocumented people live in the city. When the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 188 people on Friday 6 June, locals tried to intervene, showing their support to those affected. Protests quickly spread to the nearby cities of Paramount and Compton.
Over the weekend, protesters and law enforcement have clashed multiple times, leading to the deployment of tear gas and rubber bullets among other things. As locals kept showing their discontent, president Donald Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to LA on Saturday evening and another 2,000 have been deployed since. Moreover, 700 Marines have been called to Los Angeles by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
However, those deployments – especially of the National Guard – are heavily criticised, especially by California’s governor Gavin Newsom.
Love the country where you live else leave! This is not acceptable!
— North East West South (@prawasitv) June 9, 2025
God Bless America! #LosAngelesProtests #Trump #Mexico #losangelesriots #GodBlessAmerica pic.twitter.com/OD2sd0z9jm
“I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles County and return them to my command…We didn’t have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty — inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they’re actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California,” Newsom wrote in a statement on X.
Meanwhile, the protests in the city continue, and looting has reportedly started. An Australian television journalist and a British photographer have been hit by the crowd-control rounds over the weekend. Newsom has since said he will deploy an extra 800 law enforcement officers, who will try to “clean up President Trump’s mess”. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has also asked Trump to stop the raids, saying the city is a city of immigrants, and that the administration is attacking its people.
However, the Trump administration is not changing its tactics and Vice President JD Vance stated that they “will not be intimidated by lawlessness”.
“We will stand by the FBI agents tracking down violent criminals, by the guardsmen, local police, and Marines restoring order, and by the ICE agents enforcing our immigration laws. President Trump will not back down,” he wrote on X.
The police fired rubber bullets at Australian reporter Lauren Tomasi while she was reporting live from Los Angeles today.
— Republicans against Trump (@RpsAgainstTrump) June 9, 2025
Appalling and unjustified.
pic.twitter.com/QLixvXawDg
What to know if you’re travelling to Los Angeles?
“Don’t give Donald Trump what he wants. Speak up. Stay peaceful. Stay calm. Do not use violence and respect the law enforcement officers that are trying their best to keep the peace. Don’t take the bait. Never use violence or harm law enforcement,” governor Newsom urged on X.
The same advice applies to those travelling to LA. The British travel advice for the US, for instance, reads as follows:
“Demonstrations and protests are taking place in Los Angeles. Media reports suggest the police response has included use of flash-bangs, tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber/sponge bullets. You should: monitor local media and follow the advice of the local authorities, plan ahead to avoid disruption, and stay away from crowds and demonstrations.”
📽️LOS ANGELES — An anti-ICE protestor shouted from a megaphone, “If you get arrested, call that number — we will bail you out for free.”
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) June 10, 2025
📢If you get arrested for assaulting a federal officer or destroying property, the U.S. attorneys will prosecute. pic.twitter.com/KVmYWlYaA3
For the time being, the protests don’t seem to impact any flights going to or departing from Los Angeles. As long as there is no official advice against travelling to the city, travellers can not automatically cancel their trip or ask for a full refund. If you’re reconsidering your trip, ask advice from your personal airline or travel insurance.
