Author: Gracelia Yoshanty, S.Hub.Int., S.H., M.Hub.Int.
The United States has been hit by unrest since Friday, 6 June 2025. The turmoil began after U.S. President Donald Trump, Jr. issued an anti-migrant policy by deporting undocumented immigrants across the country. Trump even ordered the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to locate and arrest undocumented immigrants as well as anyone who obstructed ICE’s operations.
Following Trump’s directive, ICE began sweeping several areas known to be centers of undocumented immigrant communities. Two major areas targeted were the Garment District and Compton in Los Angeles. Many undocumented immigrants—and individuals seen as obstructing ICE—were arrested there. ICE reportedly conducted an average of 1,600 arrests per day. These large-scale arrests triggered massive demonstrations in Santa Ana, Los Angeles, where protesters gathered near locations such as city hall and detention facilities holding the immigrants.
Although the California state government and the Los Angeles city authorities had already deployed law enforcement personnel, tensions continued to rise. In response to the escalating unrest in Los Angeles, Trump deployed thousands of National Guard troops and Marines to quell the protests. However, this additional deployment sparked controversy because the Governor of California had never requested federal reinforcements.
To discuss this issue, Liputan 6 spoke with Gracelia Yoshanty, S.Hub.Int., S.H., M.Hub.Int., a lecturer in the International Relations Department at Parahyangan Catholic University.
According to Gracelia, in theory, the deployment of National Guard troops should be based on coordination between the California state government and the U.S. federal government. However, given the scale of the unrest occurring on the ground, Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard was the right move to control the protests. She further added that the turmoil in the United States is likely to lead to chaos, considering that many undocumented immigrants who have grown comfortable with their lives in the U.S. would naturally resist leaving the stability they have built.