Between June 6 and 14, 2025, law enforcement officers in Los Angeles responded to protests against sweeping immigration raids with excessive force and deliberate brutality, according to a detailed report by Human Rights Watch (HRW). The protests erupted after federal agents, under orders from the Trump administration, conducted aggressive workplace raids targeting undocumented immigrants. HRW documented 65 cases of injuries inflicted by local, state, and federal officers on protesters, journalists, and legal observers, with the actual number likely far higher.
Officers deployed tear gas, pepper balls, hard foam rounds, and flash-bang grenades — often at close range and without warning. “Law enforcement officers in Los Angeles used brutal, excessive, and unnecessary force against people standing up for human rights and those reporting on the protests,” said Ida Sawyer, HRW’s crisis, conflict, and arms director.
The protests began after ICE agents raided multiple locations, including Ambiance Apparel facilities in the Fashion District. Federal agents arrested over 40 people, loading them into unmarked vans and denying them contact with family members. David Huerta, president of SEIU-USWW, was injured and arrested while attempting to block access to one of the facilities. FBI agents in tactical gear forcibly cleared crowds with batons and shields, firing flash-bang grenades as they departed.
“I’ve been teargassed a number of times. But nothing like this.”
On June 7, in Paramount, federal agents from DHS and CBP confronted protesters near a suspected raid site. HRW documented repeated use of tear gas and foam projectiles against demonstrators, including an immigrant rights advocate who was hit multiple times while trying to move a tear gas canister away from families. He “heard lots of shooting and felt the impact on my back.” Authorities hit the advocate “at least four times with what appear to have been 40mm blue-capped foam rounds,” according to the report.
Journalists were also targeted. Ryanne Mena of the Los Angeles Daily News suffered a concussion after being shot in the head with a projectile. “I’ve been teargassed a number of times. But nothing like this,” she said, describing how she struggled to breathe due to asthma as tear gas engulfed the area.
British photojournalist Nick Stern was shot in the thigh with a flash-bang casing while clearly displaying press credentials. “It resembled a war zone,” he said, recalling the barrage of less-lethal munitions fired by sheriff’s deputies.
HRW observed law enforcement repeatedly using force to disperse crowds without issuing clear dispersal orders. Protesters were often pushed in conflicting directions by different lines of officers, and in some cases, kettled and detained without a path to exit. Officers fired directly at individuals’ heads, groins, and upper bodies, violating California’s Penal Code Section 13652, which restricts the use of kinetic projectiles during protests.
The protests intensified on June 8, when thousands gathered downtown. National Guard troops and LAPD officers fired tear gas and projectiles at demonstrators near the Metropolitan Detention Center and City Hall. HRW documented injuries including broken bones, concussions, and severe eye damage. One volunteer medic described treating protesters with deep wounds and broken limbs: “People were yelling for help… bleeding from their heads or faces”.
While some protesters engaged in property damage and threw objects at police, HRW found that most violence occurred after law enforcement initiated force. “Only a small portion of the protesting crowd engaged in destructive acts,” the report stated, emphasizing that officers did not limit their response to those individuals.
Trump’s June 7 directive labeled the protests “a form of rebellion” and authorized deployment of the National Guard and active-duty Marines. By June 9, over 2,000 troops were stationed in Los Angeles, primarily guarding federal buildings. Local officials objected to the federal escalation, though LAPD and sheriff’s deputies continued aggressive crowd control measures.
HRW concluded that law enforcement actions violated international human rights law, the US Constitution, and California state law. The organization called for accountability and independent investigations. “All law enforcement agencies involved should respect the right to free speech and protest, protect journalists, and ensure that those responsible for abuse are held to account,” Sawyer said.
After public outcry, the LAPD stated it would conduct a “comprehensive evaluation” of use-of-force incidents. Past lawsuits over protest policing in Los Angeles have cost taxpayers millions but yielded little systemic reform.
