Tear gas flies and arrests mount as protesters clash with US immigration officers in Los Angeles

The National Guard is already "mobilizing" and will soon be deployed in Los Angeles County, following violent protests and attacks against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan has told Fox News.

The unrest centered in Paramount, California, where federal immigration officers were staging near a Home Depot store on Saturday. Although no ICE raid took place at that specific location, the crowd of protesters eventually clashed with officers, prompting Border Patrol personnel and Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies to fire tear gas and "less-lethal rounds."

"We're going to bring the National Guard in tonight," Homan said on The Big Weekend Show. "We're going to continue doing our job. We're going to push back on these people."

"You can protest all you want," he added. "You've got your First Amendment rights, but if you cross that line of impediment, or you put hands on officers or destroy property, you will be prosecuted"

"American people, this is about enforcing the law," Homan emphasized. "And again, we're not going to apologize for doing it."

Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said his deputies were initially dispatched in response to a "street takeover," but were later called in by federal authorities who said they were under attack.

"Eventually, that crowd grew to between 350 and 400 people, and some began throwing objects at the agents," Luna told reporters. He stressed that the sheriff's department "had nothing to do" with immigration enforcement, but added: "If federal agents... come under attack, we are going to support any other law enforcement agency that's asking for help."

Mayor Peggy Lemons of Paramount blamed federal officials for the panic, citing a lack of coordination. "One of the big issues is just lack of communication from the authorities when something like this happens, so that we could have a better handle and be better prepared to educate our residents," she said at a press conference.

"People are just frightened," she added. "And when you handle things the way that this appears to be handled, it's not a surprise that chaos would follow."

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the unrest a "riot," warning that anyone who "lay[s] a hand on a law enforcement officer" will be "prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said authorities were reviewing footage of the clashes to identify those responsible. "You bring chaos, and we'll bring handcuffs," he said.

The protests follow three immigration raids carried out in Los Angeles on Friday, which resulted in at least 44 administrative arrests. According to the White House, Homan is currently in Los Angeles overseeing the ongoing operations.

(RT.com)