‘Arrest people in face masks’: Trump issues new orders as protests intensify in Los Angeles

US President Donald Trump has ordered law enforcement authorities to arrest the protesters who are wearing masks as tensions in Los Angeles escalated on Sunday amid mass demonstrations over the immigration crackdown.

On Sunday, Trump imposed a ban on the use of masks at protests, while commending the National Guard, a reserve military force typically under the authority of state governors, for their effective response following two days of violence and unrest in Los Angeles.

‘Arrest people in face masks’

“ARREST THE PEOPLE IN FACE MASKS, NOW,” the US President said in a post on his Social Truth platform.

Earlier, Trump declared that “from now on, MASKS WILL NOT BE ALLOWED to be worn at protests,” although it remains uncertain whether the federal government has the legal authority to enforce such a directive. Protesters have been wearing masks to shield their identities from security forces and to protect themselves from the smoke and fumes caused by fireworks and police munitions.

Tensions in Los Angeles escalated on Sunday

Tensions in Los Angeles escalated on Sunday as thousands of protesters took to the streets in response to Trump’s extraordinary deployment of the National Guard, blocking off a major freeway and setting self-driving cars on fire as law enforcement used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to control the crowd.

Many protesters dispersed as evening fell and police declared an unlawful assembly, a precursor to officers moving in and making arrests of people who don’t leave. Some of those remaining threw objects at police from behind a makeshift barrier that spanned the width of a street and others hurled chunks of concrete, rocks, electric scooters and fireworks at California Highway Patrol officers and their vehicles parked on the closed southbound 101 Freeway. Officers ran under an overpass to take cover.

This is the first federalization of National Guard troops by a US president since 1992 during the Los Angeles riots. Unlike then, Trump’s deployment was made without Governor Newsom’s consent, who called the move “purposefully inflammatory” and warned it would escalate tensions and erode public trust.

What sparked the protests in Los Angeles?

The unrest began after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) launched a string of operations across Los Angeles, including outside clothing warehouses, Home Depot stores, and even a doughnut shop. According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), these raids resulted in the arrest of 118 immigrants, including individuals linked to criminal organizations or those with past criminal convictions.

The crackdown comes as Trump ramps up promises of mass deportations ahead of a broader immigration enforcement campaign. The LA raids mark one of the most aggressive ICE operations in the state in recent years, and the federal government’s willingness to bypass state leadership to enforce immigration laws shows just how high the political stakes have become.