‘Why are these guns here?’ Rep. Waters says as National Guard deployed to L.A. amid ICE protests

L.A.-US, JUNE 8: U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) delivered a fiery rebuke of President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard to Los Angeles, confronting troops near a detention center. Waters pleaded with National Guard troops not to use their weapons against protesters. She said "Whom are they going to shoot and for what? Are you going to shoot a kid running away just because they're afraid of them? Are you going to shoot a protester because you don't like what they're saying?" Her remarks came as tensions flared over Trump’s crackdown on immigration protests, with 2,000 National Guard troops ordered into the city following clashes between demonstrators and federal agents. Standing near armed soldiers outside the Metropolitan Detention Center, Waters accused the president of exploiting deportation raids to escalate tensions. "This is a dishonorable, cruel, yeah, individual who only cares about himself," she told Anadolu, warning that Trump "is up to creating martial law" and deliberately targeting Los Angeles as a sanctuary city. "He even alluded to Civil War," she added. The unrest began Friday, June 6, after mass arrests by ICE agents targeting undocumented immigrants. Demonstrators blocked streets, leading to skirmishes with riot police who used tear gas and flashbangs. Trump’s senior advisor, Stephen Miller, branded the protests "a rebellion against the U.S.," while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth claimed "violent attacks on ICE" were orchestrated by cartels.(Footage by Tayfun Coşkun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)