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By Isabel van Brugen
News Reporter
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Federal officers were "overrun" as a protest against federal immigration raids in Santa Ana, California, escalated and turned violent on Monday, local police said.
"The situation has escalated, and what began as a lawful assembly around the Civic Center Plaza, has escalated into objects being thrown towards officers and other members of the public, posing a risk to public safety, property, and the well-being of our community," the City of Santa Ana said in a statement.
Federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets, in response.
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The anti-Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protest in Santa Ana followed those in downtown Los Angeles, where President Donald Trump has federalized and deployed California's National Guard.
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The top federal prosecutor in Southern California, Bill Essayli, "contacted our City to request assistance because federal agents were being overrun at the federal building," the statement added.
Newsweek reached out to the Santa Ana Police Department via email for comment.
The Context.
The escalation in Santa Ana follows several days of protests and numerous arrests in downtown Los Angeles sparked by immigration enforcement actions.
President Donald Trump's administration is pushing an aggressive immigration crackdown, with Trump vowing to deport "millions" of immigrants in the largest mass deportation in U.S. history.
The president introduced hardline immigration policies after he was sworn in for a second term in January, however, some individuals caught up in his crackdown have had proper documentation.
Protests erupted in Los Angeles amid reports that detainees were being held in the basement of a federal building. ICE denied these allegations, with a spokesperson previously telling Newsweek the agency "categorically refutes the assertions made by immigration activists in Los Angeles.
What to Know
Hundreds of protesters took to the streets of Santa Ana on Monday, with some at Santa Ana Boulevard and Flower Street protesting in front of a federal building, which was being guarded by the National Guard.
By about 8.30 p.m., police declared an unlawful assembly, ordering demonstrators to disperse.
The city of Santa Ana said its police department has "taken appropriate action to restore and maintain order to protect our community members."
"Our priority is to preserve life, protect property, and de-escalate tensions in a safe manner," the statement said. "We urge all individuals participating in these demonstrations to remain peaceful and follow lawful instructions."
Footage circulating online of the unrest showed protesters dispersing as police deployed tear gas, while police were seen making multiple arrests in downtown Los Angeles, tackling demonstrators to the ground and attempting to stop looters.
Ricky Dominguez, 36, a Santa Ana resident, told the Orange County Register he went to see a protest because he was left "speechless" after hearing reports that ICE was detaining people.
"I saw what was going on with ICE and felt I had to be here," he said. "They're here in my backyard."
According to the publication, throughout the afternoon, the number of protesters swelled along Santa Ana Boulevard, gathering in front of the federal building. At one point, demonstrators attempted to obstruct a van exiting the building's driveway, prompting police to step in, disperse the crowd, and deploy pepper spray to control the situation.
As the demonstration continued into the evening, the crowd expanded to several hundred people, occasionally spilling over and blocking Santa Ana Boulevard and Civic Center Plaza.
Dylan Carranca, 23, who took part in the protests, said his eyes turned red from tear gas canisters deployed by law enforcement at the federal building.
"We were just standing there. I didn't see anything get thrown by our side and then all of a sudden we saw three get thrown. One on the right, one in the middle and one on the left. I saw one land and I took off running," Carranca told the local publication.
Another protester, who asked to be identified as Carla, said police used rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
"Every time we move up, we don't even do anything, they're just there and tell us to stay," she said. "We get close and they keep trying to get us to get back with tear gas and they start shooting rubber bullets."
California Governor Gavin Newsom has said Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard was a "breach" of state sovereignty and was "intentionally designed to inflame the situation."
What People Are Saying
U.S. Representative Lou Correa (D-CA) said on X on June 8: "Over the past few weeks, DHS has been detaining and deporting immigrants, some of whom entered the U.S. legally, are enrolled in school, and have work authorization. This is currently happening in Santa Ana. This executive overreach is illegal and can't go unchecked."
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social Saturday night: "If Governor Gavin Newscum, of California, and Mayor Karen Bass, of Los Angeles, can't do their jobs, which everyone knows they can't, then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!"
What Happens Next
The Los Angeles region remains braced for further protests.
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