Trump’s LA intervention sets the stage for a bigger political showdown

A demonstrator holds a sign during a City Council meeting, demanding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to be removed from the community, as demonstrations continue in response to federal immigration operations in the Whittier neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, on June 10, 2025. Hundreds of Marines are due to arrive in Los Angeles on June 10 after US President Donald Trump ordered their deployment in response to protests against immigration arrests and despite objections by state officials. The 700 troops will join National Guard soldiers, amping up the militarization of the tense situation in the sprawling city, which is home to millions of foreign-born and Latino residents. The unrest was sparked by a sudden intensification of Trump's signature campaign to deport illegal migrants, with raids conducted on workplaces. (Photo by RINGO CHIU / AFP)

Mr Trump’s obsession with immigration has dominated his 2024 presidential campaign and US politics for the past decade.

PHOTO: AFP

Jonathan Eyal

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LONDON - The clashes between rioters and federal and California National Guard troops now unfolding in Los Angeles have played out in typical American fashion, with

exaggerated claims

and disputes about the interpretation of supposedly grand constitutional principles.

US President Donald Trump claims that had he not deployed a total of around 5,000 troops, Los Angeles “would be burning”.

Trump’s LA intervention sets the stage for a bigger political showdown

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