Los Angeles police swiftly enforced a city-imposed curfew Tuesday night, arresting nearly 200 people within minutes of it taking effect as protests intensified over President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Mounted officers and crowd-control projectiles were used to disperse a group of hundreds in the downtown area. National Guard troops, while present behind plastic shields, did not assist in the arrests. The city, witnessing its fifth straight night of unrest, imposed an 8 pm to 6 am curfew across a 1-square-mile section of downtown, an area that has been the epicentre of protests since Friday. Mayor Karen Bass declared a local emergency, citing widespread looting and vandalism. “We reached a tipping point,” she said, noting that 23 businesses had been looted.

Police Chief Jim McDonnell said the curfew, which exempts residents, emergency workers, the homeless, and credentialed media, was essential due to “unlawful and dangerous behaviour” escalating since Saturday. Authorities confirmed 197 arrests, including 67 for blocking the 101 freeway. Most were held for failing to disperse, though some face serious charges like looting, assault with a deadly weapon, and attempted murder for hurling a Molotov cocktail. At least seven officers have been injured since protests began. Governor Gavin Newsom sharply criticised Trump, accusing him of creating a “military dragnet” in Los Angeles. He has filed an emergency court motion seeking to halt military cooperation with federal immigration authorities. “California may be first, but it clearly will not end here,” Newsom warned. “Other states are next.” President Trump, defending the troop deployment, claimed on Truth Social that without military intervention, the city “would be burning to the ground.” He left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, saying, “If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We’ll see.” At Fort Bragg, Trump escalated rhetoric, calling protesters “animals” and “a foreign enemy,” while Newsom countered, labelling Trump’s actions an “assault on democracy.” “What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty, your silence. To be complicit in this moment. Do not give it to him,” Newsom said. Protests began after federal immigration raids arrested dozens of workers in LA. Demonstrators blocked freeways and torched cars over the weekend, prompting police to respond with rubber bullets, tear gas, and flash-bang grenades. While rallies outside City Hall and a federal detention centre remained largely peaceful, tensions flared in other areas. Nationwide, the unrest has spread to cities like New York, Dallas, and Austin. In New York City alone, police arrested 86 protesters in lower Manhattan. In Texas, National Guard troops are on standby in cities like San Antonio. Despite the outcry, immigration enforcement continues across Los Angeles County. ICE agents have reportedly been seen near public places such as libraries and hardware stores, and schools have heightened security for graduation ceremonies, with some allowing virtual attendance to ease community fears.