Following the successful pushback against President Trump's June-July 2025 deployment of over 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles—as detailed in prior coverage—the resistance offers key lessons for other cities. Broad coalitions, rapid mobilization, and strategic legal action not only forced a withdrawal by late July but also highlighted ways to build on existing infrastructure against federal overreach.
The deployment targeted LA's immigrant communities through ICE raids at workplaces like the Garment Center, carwashes, and Home Depot parking lots. Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass denounced it immediately, with Attorney General Rob Bonta leading a state lawsuit that secured early federal court wins.
A pivotal moment was the June 6 assault on SEIU California president David Huerta during protests, where he was tased and charged with felony conspiracy. This drew in labor unions, the region's largest social movement, amplifying media and official attention. As Bill Gallegos, former executive director of Communities for a Better Environment, noted in The Nation, "When labor came out, that sends a message to the media. It sends a message to elected officials."
Longstanding groups like the Korean Immigrant Workers Alliance and IDEPSCA renewed May Day marches with 15,000 participants. Faith organizations, including Clergy and Laity United, the AME Church, and the Archbishop of Los Angeles, provided sanctuary and opposition. Legal teams from the ACLU, MALDEF, and Public Counsel won a temporary restraining order against race-based detentions, upheld by the Ninth Circuit until the Supreme Court lifted it in September.
Community responses featured thousands of know-your-rights trainings, rapid response networks, and mutual aid. Troops withdrew by late July.
In his January 2026 Nation cover story, Gallegos urged building on these foundations: "You don’t have to reinvent the wheel." He advocated strategic focus against ongoing ICE tactics, a broad united front—including Democrats—to counter fascist threats, and sustained coalitions for future defenses.
