Los Angeles Mayor Bass Declares Emergency, Enacts Downtown Curfew Amid Protests

After five days of protests and unrest in Los Angeles sparked by federal immigration enforcement, Mayor Karen Bass declared an 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew in a one-square-mile area of downtown to stop looting and vandalism. The curfew covers the area between the Golden State (5) Freeway and Harbor (110) Freeway, and from the Santa Monica (10) Freeway to the merging of the Arroyo Seco (110) Parkway and Golden State Freeway, with limited exceptions for residents, workers, and credentialed media. The Trump administration deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles amid the unrest, drawing criticism from Bass who expressed concern over militarization of streets. Protests centered around the federal Metropolitan Detention Center and nearby ICE offices, with demonstrators blocking freeways and prompting dozens of arrests. The curfew has no set end date, with Bass indicating it may last several days as consultations continue with law enforcement and elected officials. The situation reflects escalating tensions between local leaders and the federal government over immigration enforcement policies in sanctuary cities.