Last weekend, the United States experienced a double-edged experience: on one side, Trump held a grand military parade to celebrate his birthday; on the other side, anti-Trump protests swept across major American cities, with millions of people taking to the streets, shouting "No King," expressing their dissatisfaction with Trump's policies of expelling immigrants and others.
On June 6, 2025, ICE's surprise raid in Los Angeles ignited the fuse. Furious crowds took to the streets, and protests escalated rapidly.
In response to the escalating situation, the federal government directly invoked legal provisions to order the mobilization of the National Guard into Los Angeles without the request of the governor. Subsequently, they dispatched an additional 700 Marine Corps personnel. This series of militarized responses sparked massive controversy. Governor Newsom and other critics pointed out that the actions were "premature" and "provocative," serving authoritarian purposes. The conflict between the federal government and the California government intensified further.
Currently, the conflict has led to over 400 demonstrators being arrested, with injuries on both sides. The anger in Los Angeles quickly spread to multiple American cities including New York, Chicago, and Dallas, sparking nationwide "anti-ICE" and "anti-Trump" protest waves.
As an eyewitness to this storm, Observer Network once again connected with Sabrina, who lives in Los Angeles (she shared her insights during the TikTok refugee incident: "The younger generation of Americans has no malice towards China"), bringing us firsthand observations from local residents in Los Angeles.
[Interview/Observer Network Zheng Leihuan]
Observer Network: The violent expulsion of illegal immigrants protest mainly erupted in the downtown area of Los Angeles. Could you share what you saw and heard?
Sabrina: Actually, at first I had no idea what was happening there. I only heard the news saying that the government would deploy the National Guard for California. I live in Koreatown, located west of downtown Los Angeles, near Westlake Village. On my way driving east to Monterey Park, I encountered a protest. There were so many people, it was hard to control. I remember similar protests against the deportation of immigrants last month in Los Angeles.
There were many police cars patrolling, and I also saw videos of ICE stationed in downtown Los Angeles during the protest. These days, I am at school, so I didn't see much of the protest, but my friends living in Koreatown told me that there were protests near their apartment buildings.
The problem we face now is that law enforcement officers just look people in the eyes and arrest them using the so-called "ICE privilege," which is no different from kidnapping.
The interviewee drove from the western Koreatown to the eastern Monterey Park, witnessing the protest scene while passing through downtown Los Angeles. Made by Google Maps.
Observer Network: Many people complain about the violent law enforcement behavior of ICE agents, some even being directly taken away on the street or in stores. How do people evaluate such situations?
Sabrina: In fact, they (ICE) arrested many legal citizens; a large number of those arrested were legal immigrants. Ultimately, this boils down to "racial profiling" law enforcement; the message they convey is racism. Because they initially targeted Hispanics, and now they specifically target Asians. For example, going to nail salons run by local Vietnamese families, people worry whether they are legal or illegal. Now many people carry passports when they go out to prove their legal status, especially those who don't look or sound very American.
Observer Network: During this protest, a large number of Mexican flags appeared. Do you have any Mexican friends around you, and how do they think about it?
Sabrina: My Mexican friends rarely comment on this, but they must feel uncomfortable with the current situation. Most of my Mexican friends just want to live quietly because the risk of being arrested on the street is high, and no one knows what will happen. They must try to avoid giving the police or ICE any reason to arrest them.
Observer Network: On the evening of the 10th local time, the mayor of Los Angeles announced a curfew in parts of downtown. Did this have any impact on your life and those around you? Reports say that some people were arrested for violating the curfew. What are your thoughts on this?
Sabrina: It did affect me, as my school is in downtown. It’s more convenient for me to write my thesis here. But now due to the curfew policy, schools and family members suggest students stay home instead of going to school. If I go to school, I have to stay on campus all the time. However, despite this, I still go to school because I need to finish my thesis.
Regarding this, the school administration posted many notices: if ICE personnel enter the campus, do not initiate conversations with them. When asked, simply respond "I have the right to remain silent," then report it to security. Our school is private, with mostly international students, few Americans, making this a high-risk situation.
I heard that the situation is worse on the East Coast, where some students have to leave school. I saw a video of a girl who said she had to return to the U.S. before the end of summer because if she doesn’t return on the specified date, she won’t be allowed to enter the U.S.
Moreover, the biggest impact of the curfew is on lifestyle habits, as we can't go out at night. I remember the night before the curfew was implemented, I was drinking with friends in downtown and could walk around freely. But now we have to stay indoors, especially for friends living in downtown, who basically can't do anything at night.
Aerial footage shows that with the arrival of the night of the 11th, there were police deployments on some sections of roads in Los Angeles, facing off with protesters.
Observer Network: Regarding the issue of dispatching the National Guard and the expulsion of illegal immigrants, the conflict between the federal government and the California government seems to be worsening. Since the tariff dispute in April, voices like those represented by Governor Newsom have strongly opposed Trump's policies. What do you and other Californians think about this?
Sabrina: To be honest, I don't have much goodwill toward the federal government. Many people in California dislike the federal government because most of the working class and middle class here are Democrats, and many of Trump's policies are actually unfair to the lower and middle classes. I heard about the tariff issue; California is trying to reach independent agreements with trading partners regarding tariffs because the impact on us is significant.
Some Californians are discussing "independence," believing that this is somewhat possible because California is the most populous state, and its contribution to the overall U.S. economy is substantial; the West Coast is similarly affected.
Do you remember the Los Angeles wildfires? First, Mexico helped us, followed by Canada; the federal government came late to provide assistance. Trump tweeted a lot, blaming California's environmental policies for insufficient water reserves in reservoirs, etc. I don't know if these really caused an impact, but he was clearly the last one to offer help.
Observer Network: During the tariff dispute period, did your life in Los Angeles suffer from the impact of tariffs? Also, we know that starting last month, the Trump administration imposed many restrictive measures on U.S. universities and foreign students. Has this affected your current university? You mentioned that most of the students are overseas.
Sabrina: Yes, the students' visas are currently at high risk, and the school is also worried about losing its student base, which means losing income. My dad even called me asking, "Why is my school emailing and calling me to ask if I'm willing to donate?" So we feel that the school is quite concerned about its financial issues, as we have so many international students. If they all leave, the school will have no students.
Moreover, for many students, going back home may mean they cannot return to the U.S., so this is very contradictory. I saw a recent tweet from Trump mentioning reaching an agreement with China, saying Chinese students will be allowed to study in the U.S., but this should never have been an issue...
On the other hand, tariffs indeed affected residents' lives. I feel our prices have increased by 20%-30%. For example, I spend about $60 per week on food and miscellaneous items, but later it doubled. Apparently, oil prices here will rise in July, possibly increasing from around $5 per gallon now to $8, but this might not be related to tariffs.
Also, some of my friends who often buy Chinese-branded products told me that shopping has become very difficult, especially with shipping costs. Prices of some Asian grocery items have also gone up. At the same time, car prices are rising, including those of American brands, as many American cars import components.
We can now see many Republicans, including radical right-wing Republicans, beginning to realize the impact of tariffs on us, which is at least a good thing because no one likes tariffs. Our prices are rising, but wages aren't, forcing many people to work two jobs and endure unequal healthcare systems.
Protests in Los Angeles have continued for several days Early Post
Observer Network: Given the current measures targeting illegal immigrants, do you feel worried because of your minority background, considering the mentioned "racial profiling" enforcement issues?
Sabrina: Personally, I'm not too worried because I have half Caucasian blood, and I look quite Americanized, both in behavior and accent, basically a typical American. However, my mother is different, including a very close friend of mine who is pure Cambodian but looks Hispanic, so she is often mistaken for Hispanic. However, her family has lived in America for generations, and her family has been living here for a long time, yet she is still considered part of a high-risk group.
For them, anywhere in Los Angeles is dangerous now. Protests are erupting in the city center, and no one wants to get involved. My French friend said she doesn't want to be mistaken for an immigrant or Hispanic, so she prefers staying in the suburbs an hour away from downtown rather than getting close to that area.
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