Trump vows resources needed to restore 'law and order' as LA rioters torch cars, block freeway

Anti-immigration enforcement rioters clashed Sunday with newly deployed National Guard troops in Los Angeles, setting a car on fire and blocking a major freeway as President Donald Trump vowed to send to Los Angeles whatever resources needed to quell the violence and restore order.

“We’ll send whatever we need to make sure there’s law and order,” Trump told reporters before departing from New Jersey after a weekend trip. “Last night in Los Angeles we watched it very closely, there was a lot of violence there and it could have got much worse.”

Asked whether the protests might spread, the president answered: “We’re going to be watching it very closely.”

Protests and rioting in Los Angeles against Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents' arrests of illegal aliens entered a third day Sunday, with hundreds flooding the 101 freeway in downtown Los Angeles and bringing traffic to a standstill.

Police said in a post on X that California Highway Patrol officers are attempting to disperse the demonstrators off the southbound section of the freeway. LAPD also said cars had been set on fire in a historic neighborhood, causing authorities to declare an unlawful assembly.

"Demonstrators have halted vehicles on Los Angeles North of Arcadia St and ignited the vehicles," LAPD said on X. "Our partners with LAFD are attempting to enter the area to extinguish the fire.   This is a historic area of DTLA, Olvera St.   An UNLAWFUL ASSEMBLY has been issued for the entire area.

Trump has blamed California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass for failing to do more to stop the unrest, saying the inaction by Democrat leaders forced his hand in deploying troops.

Trump said he told Newsom that “you’ve got to take care of it, otherwise I’m sending in the troops. And that’s what we did.”