ICE Under Fire: Trump’s 2025 Immigration Crackdown Sparks Chaos in Los Angeles

June 8, 2025 | Boncopia.com | News & Politics: U.S. News & Politics

Los Angeles is a city on edge, caught in the crosshairs of President Donald Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies. On Sunday, June 8, 2025, hundreds of California National Guard troops descended on the city, deployed by Trump to quell violent protests triggered by sweeping U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids. These raids, part of a broader 2025 policy shift, have transformed ICE’s operations, prioritizing mass deportations and dismantling previous protections. From targeting “sensitive” locations like schools and churches to reviving controversial local law enforcement partnerships, ICE’s new directives have ignited outrage, fear, and chaos in L.A. and beyond. Here’s a deep dive into the policies driving this upheaval, their impact on communities, and the stakes for America’s immigration debate.

The New ICE: A 2025 Policy Overhaul

Since Trump’s inauguration on January 20, 2025, ICE has undergone a seismic shift, guided by executive orders and directives aimed at fulfilling his campaign promise of “the largest domestic deportation operation in American history.” Below are the key policy changes driving the current unrest in Los Angeles:

1. Rescinding “Sensitive Locations” Protections

On January 21, 2025, Acting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Benjamine Huffman issued a directive rescinding Biden-era policies that restricted ICE enforcement in “sensitive” areas like schools, churches, and hospitals. This change allows ICE agents to conduct arrests in these previously protected spaces, using what the administration calls “common sense” discretion. A subsequent ICE memo on January 31, 2025, introduced minimal safeguards, requiring agents to seek authorization for such actions, but critics argue it lacks enforceable oversight. This policy shift has fueled fear, with reports of parents keeping children home from school and immigrants avoiding medical care.

2. Mass Deportation Quotas

The Trump administration has set ambitious arrest quotas, directing ICE to detain 1,200 to 1,500 immigrants daily, a significant jump from the 311 daily average in fiscal year 2024. By mid-May, White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller reportedly threatened to fire ICE officials if they failed to meet a 3,000-arrests-per-day target, leading to “Operation At Large,” a nationwide crackdown involving 5,000 federal agents and up to 21,000 National Guard troops. In Los Angeles, this translated to raids on June 6, 2025, targeting workplaces like clothing warehouses and Home Depot parking lots, netting 118 arrests. Critics, including Sen. Dick Durbin, warn these quotas risk detaining essential workers and family members without due process.

3. Expanded Local Law Enforcement Collaboration

ICE has revived and expanded 287(g) agreements, which allow local police and sheriffs to act as immigration enforcement agents. In 2025, 226 new memorandums of understanding (MOUs) were signed, with 141 focused on a new “task force” model that extends enforcement from jails to street-level operations. In Los Angeles, this has led to increased patrols in immigrant neighborhoods, with critics like the ACLU warning of racial profiling and a “police state” atmosphere. California’s sanctuary state laws, which limit local cooperation with ICE, have clashed with these agreements, escalating tensions.

4. Targeting Non-Criminals and Legal Residents

While the administration claims to prioritize “criminal aliens,” ICE’s 2025 operations have increasingly targeted non-criminals. Data shows a 221% increase in detentions of immigrants without criminal convictions between January and February 2025, with non-criminals making up 16% of detainees by February, up from 6% in November 2024. In L.A., raids have swept up legally residing immigrants, including a high-schooler detained at an immigration hearing and a Navy veteran’s daughter held without medicine. Posts on X highlight cases of ICE dismissing court cases only to arrest individuals outside, raising due process concerns.

5. Revoking Humanitarian Protections

Trump’s executive orders have revoked Biden-era policies like Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for over 530,000 immigrants, and humanitarian parole programs. For example, TPS for Venezuelans, granted in 2021 due to Venezuela’s humanitarian crisis, will expire in April or September 2025, leaving many facing deportation. These changes have heightened fear in L.A.’s immigrant communities, particularly among Venezuelans and other Latin American groups.

6. Data Sharing and Privacy Concerns

ICE is reportedly nearing a deal with the IRS to access tax data, including names and addresses of undocumented immigrants, raising alarms about privacy violations. This move, combined with ICE’s public sharing of arrest details on social media, aims to maximize enforcement but has been criticized as an abuse of power. In L.A., this has fueled distrust, with advocates warning of “targeted terror” in immigrant neighborhoods.

The Los Angeles Flashpoint

The June 6 raids in Los Angeles, targeting workplaces and day laborers, sparked immediate backlash. Protesters gathered outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, blocking streets and clashing with federal agents. By Saturday, violence erupted in Paramount and Compton, with burning cars, tear gas, and injuries to deputies. Trump’s response—deploying 2,000 California National Guard troops under federal authority—marked a rare use of Title 10, bypassing Gov. Gavin Newsom’s control. The first 300 troops arrived Sunday, June 8, staging at federal buildings, with threats of active-duty Marines if unrest persists.

Local leaders, including Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass, condemned the deployment as “inflammatory” and unnecessary, arguing that the LAPD and Sheriff’s Department were managing the situation. Rep. Maxine Waters challenged troops directly, while advocates like Angelica Salas of CHIRLA decried the raids as attacks on “workers, fathers, and mothers.” The arrest of SEIU California president David Huerta during the protests underscored the personal toll, with his detention sparking further outrage.

Impact on Communities

ICE’s policies have sown fear across Los Angeles’ diverse neighborhoods:

• Education: Parents are keeping children home from school, fearing raids in formerly protected areas. A 2019 guide from the Center for Educational Improvement urges schools to build partnerships with community groups to reassure families.

• Healthcare: Hospitals report fewer immigrants seeking care, with federal law requiring emergency treatment regardless of status now undermined by ICE’s presence.

• Community Trust: The expansion of 287(g) agreements and data-sharing plans has eroded trust, with advocates warning of racial profiling and a chilling effect on civic participation.

On X, sentiments are polarized. Users like@ReichlinMelnick and@allenanalysis decry ICE’s tactics as targeting law-abiding immigrants, while@ICEgov defends its actions, posting images of damaged property and framing protesters as “rioters.”

The Bigger Picture

ICE’s 2025 policies reflect a broader Trump administration strategy to prioritize enforcement over humanitarian considerations. The revocation of Biden-era executive orders, like those promoting family reunification and asylum processing, signals a return to hardline tactics. The use of the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to deport 137 Venezuelans for alleged crimes further escalates the crackdown, drawing comparisons to authoritarian measures.

In Los Angeles, a Democratic stronghold with a large immigrant population, these policies clash with sanctuary city principles, creating a tense standoff. The National Guard’s presence, unseen since the 1992 riots, risks militarizing a civilian issue, while ICE’s quotas strain detention facilities, with plans to add 30,000 beds at Guantanamo Bay and Aurora, Colorado. Legal experts warn of constitutional violations, particularly under the Posse Comitatus Act, which limits federal troops in domestic law enforcement.

What’s Next?

With ICE planning 30 days of enforcement in L.A. County, protests are expected to intensify, with rallies planned at City Hall. Advocates are mobilizing legal aid and know-your-rights campaigns, urging immigrants to avoid signing documents without lawyers and to demand judicial warrants. The administration’s push for more detention space and international agreements to accept deportees suggests the crackdown will escalate. However, public opinion, with 6 in 10 Americans opposing arrests in sensitive locations, may pressure policymakers to reconsider.

Why This Matters to You

ICE’s 2025 policies are reshaping Los Angeles and the nation, pitting federal power against local resistance and human rights against enforcement. For immigrant communities, the fear is palpable, disrupting daily life and access to essential services. For all Americans, this moment tests the balance between security, civil liberties, and compassion. As L.A. braces for more raids and protests, the nation watches a city—and a country—at a crossroads.

Thought Questions:

1. Do ICE’s new policies, like removing sensitive location protections and setting arrest quotas, strike a fair balance between enforcement and humanitarian concerns, or do they disproportionately harm vulnerable communities?

2. How can Los Angeles balance its sanctuary city status with federal pressure to cooperate with ICE, especially as 287(g) agreements expand?

3. With public opinion opposing arrests in schools and churches, what steps can advocates and policymakers take to restore protections while addressing immigration enforcement?

Sources: Information compiled from The New York Times, The Guardian, NBC News, Reuters, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, AP News, DHS, ICE.gov, and posts on X, accessed June 8, 2025.