Mayor Karen Bass has implemented an overnight curfew as the city grapples with increasingly volatile anti-ICE protests. The unexpected curfew announcement represents a significant shift in Mayor Bass’s approach to managing the five days of unrest. Why are California officials blocking federal intervention?
Curfew Implemented After Widespread Looting
Mayor Karen Bass announced the downtown Los Angeles curfew Tuesday afternoon, giving residents and businesses just two hours to prepare for the 8 p.m. restriction. The decision came after nearly 200 protesters were arrested and significant property damage occurred, including looting of 23 businesses and extensive graffiti throughout the downtown area.
The curfew includes exceptions for residents, homeless individuals, news media, and essential personnel, allowing necessary activities to continue within the restricted zone. Despite the curfew, some protesters remained near federal buildings after 8 p.m., resulting in additional arrests as law enforcement worked to clear the streets.
A curfew from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. will take effect Tuesday night for parts of downtown Los Angeles amid the ongoing anti-ICE protests, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced. She added that the curfew may be in effect for several days.https://t.co/Lp1a8S5pRp pic.twitter.com/huptiBHrRu
— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 11, 2025
Federal Intervention Escalates Tensions
President Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops and Marines to Los Angeles has significantly escalated the conflict between federal and state authorities. California officials, including Governor Newsom, have strongly criticized the federal intervention, with the state’s Attorney General filing a lawsuit to prevent the use of military personnel for immigration enforcement activities.
The National Guard troops are now reportedly protecting ICE agents during immigration arrests in the region. These operations, including raids in Ventura County farmworker communities, have been identified by local officials as the primary catalyst for the ongoing demonstrations.
Mayor Karen Bass issued orders for a curfew for one square mile of downtown Los Angeles starting at 8 p.m. and ending 6 a.m. Wednesday “to stop bad actors” from taking advantage of the “chaotic escalation” by President Donald Trump, she said. https://t.co/xQ4BPBeFGv
— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) June 11, 2025
Protests Spread Beyond Los Angeles
The unrest that began in Los Angeles has now spread to other California cities including Santa Ana and San Francisco. Nearly 400 people have been arrested during the five days of demonstrations, which have turned violent.
Anti-ICE protesters briefly shut down the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles earlier this week, further disrupting daily life in the city. The political disagreement between state and local officials versus federal authorities highlights the deep divisions over immigration enforcement policies that have sparked these demonstrations.