In response to six straight days of anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles, the Trump administration escalated its federal crackdown. The FBI arrested Alejandro Theodoro Orellana, alleged member of the radical Brown Berets, for conspiracy to commit civil disorder. Orellana reportedly supplied industrial-grade face shields to protesters to help them resist police tactics. FOX LA footage showed riot gear being handed out from a truck, while journalist Andy Ngo reported that far-left activists crowdfunded this equipment. Former Trump advisor Joshua Steinman tied Orellana’s actions to broader concerns about national security and the Biden administration’s handling of the southern border.

President Trump publicly thanked the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals for overturning a lower court ruling and allowing continued deployment of the California National Guard. U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer had previously blocked the move, citing Trump’s lack of consent from Governor Gavin Newsom. The legal clash underscores intensifying friction between federal and state governments amid rising civil unrest. As Trump frames the situation as a matter of national sovereignty and law enforcement, critics warn of federal overreach and the blurring of lines between civilian protest and organized subversion. The incident reflects deeper divisions in the country over immigration, protest movements, and executive power.