Protests in Los Angeles USA Over Immigration Crackdown
General Studies Paper III: Population and Related Issues |
Why in News Protests in Los Angeles USA Over Immigration Crackdown ?
On June 6–7, 2025, a government crackdown against illegal immigrants in Los Angeles triggered intense protests, carried out as part of President Trump’s strict immigration policy.
Key Points of June 2025 Los Angeles Immigration Protest
- Background:
- ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) conducted surprise raids on June 6, 2025, in Los Angeles, Paramount, and Compton, detaining several immigrants.
- This action targeted families who had been residing in the area for years.
- Organizations such as the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, Unión del Barrio, and the Party for Socialism and Liberation participated and transformed the movement into a coordinated protest.
- Demands:
- The protesters’ main demand is the immediate cessation of population-based deportations and the provision of legal protections for immigrants.
- They seek stability, respect, and constitutional safeguards for the immigrant community.
- Response:
- President Trump deployed the California National Guard under federal military provision 10 U.S.C. § 12406.
- Initially, 300 soldiers were stationed in three regions of Los Angeles.
- By June 9, 2025, due to escalating tensions, a total of 2,000 National Guard personnel had been deployed.
- Dozens of protesters have been arrested during the movement.
What are the main provisions of Trump’s immigration policy?
- President Trump defined illegal immigration as a form of “invasion against states” under Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution through Proclamation 10888.
- This proclamation provided a legal basis for numerous stringent measures, granting expanded powers to federal agencies.
- With the reinstatement of the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), asylum seekers at the southern border must wait in Mexico for entry into the United States.
- According to Executive Order 14159, all parole applications are now subject to individual review, limiting approvals on humanitarian grounds.
- Under the National Emergencies Act, Trump enacted Proclamation 10886, labeling the southern border situation a national emergency, which gave him expanded executive powers.
- The Laken Riley Act requires mandatory detention of undocumented immigrants who are involved in serious criminal offenses.
- This law also grants states the right to sue the federal government if DHS decisions are deemed threats to state security.
- Trump’s administration directed ICE to carry out the identification, arrest, and deportation of up to 3,000 undocumented immigrants daily.
- Currently, about 1,600 unauthorized immigrants are being arrested daily on average.
Impact of Donald Trump’s strict immigration policy
- Global Impact:
- Due to Trump’s policies, there has been a sharp rise in “reverse migration flow.”
- Migrants from countries like Venezuela are returning home, reversing their journeys to the U.S., leading to chaotic repatriations across Central and South America.
- Migration toward the U.S. via Colombia has dropped by 83%, while many are now taking dangerous and unconventional routes southward.
- Funding cuts to USAID have worsened the food and nutrition crisis, especially in refugee camps where children and women are critically affected.
- A March 2025 survey revealed that 75% of U.S. scientists are considering relocating to Europe.
- Impact on India:
- Visa procedures and criteria for students have become stricter, leading to a decline in Indian student enrollment in U.S. universities.
- Thousands of Indian professionals on H-1B and other work visas now face an uncertain future.
- Due to Trump’s policies, unauthorized Indian immigrants face the threat of deportation and severe legal consequences.
- The inflow of remittances to India from the U.S. is now being affected by tighter immigration laws.
- Indian families depending on migrant earnings are experiencing income loss due to job losses, deportations, and instability, impacting small investors and rural households.
- This has increased pressure on India’s current account balance, as foreign remittances are a crucial economic component.
Immigration-related Statistics in the United States
- By January 2025, the U.S. reached a record high with 53.3 million foreign-born individuals, representing 15.8% of its total population.
- According to the March 2025 report by FAIR, approximately 18.6 million people were living in the U.S. without valid documentation.
- According to 2016 immigration records, the U.S. legally admitted 1.18 million immigrants, with 48% being close family members of U.S. citizens.
- By 2023, the U.S. had 10.9 million Mexican-origin immigrants, making up 23% of the total foreign-born population.
- In 2023, nearly 97,000 Indian immigrants were apprehended while entering the U.S. illegally, which decreased to approximately 90,000 in 2024.
- In 2024, around 44,000 Indian immigrants were also detained at the U.S.-Canada border.
In 2023, there were 249,000 cases of illegal immigrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border, whereas in 2024, this number dropped to just 58,000, reflecting a 77% decline.
