Overview

The June 2025 LA ICE Protests, also known as Los Angeles Anti-ICE Riots, refer to a series of protests in Los Angeles, California, in response to raids conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on undocumented, predominantly Latino and Hispanic immigrants. The protests began on June 6th, 2025, following an ICE raid in LA's Fashion District. In the following days, the protests led to rioting, the destruction of self-driving Waymo vehicles and the blockade of an LA highway. U.S. President Donald Trump later deployed the National Guard despite opposition from California Governor Gavin Newsom. The anti-ICE protests sparked viral discourse and memes on social media sites like Twitter / X, TikTok and Reddit, among others. Pro-Trump, pro-ICE pundits denounced the protestors while anti-Trump, anti-ICE voices instead praised the protestors. Viral videos and photographs fueled the discourse as scenes from the event spread online.

Background

Donald Trump's promises and talking points during his 2024 Presidential Campaign largely focused on cracking down on illegal immigration, evident in stories like the Haitian Immigrants Eating Pets and Geese Hoax, which was discussed by Trump's campaign in late 2024, fostering anti-immigration sentiments among some of his voter base.

After U.S. President Donald Trump took office for his second term in January 2025, outlets like the BBC^[1] reported on an increase in immigration-related arrests conducted by ICE.

Some deportations and ICE detainments received national news coverage in early 2025, notably the detainment of Palestinian activist and Columbia University protest organizer Mahmoud Khalil and the deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia of Maryland, who was sent to El Savador's notorious CECOT facility.

Viral moments like the White House's Studio Ghibli AI Deportation Tweet fueled internet discourse about the second Trump administration's use of ICE from both the President's supporters and critics leading up to the protests in LA and other cities in the U.S. in the spring of 2025.

LA Anti-ICE Protests

On June 6th, 2025, ICE agents appeared at an apparel manufacturer in Los Angeles' Fashion District to detain workers who had reportedly entered the U.S. illegally.^[18] In response, a crowd gathered in the neighborhood to protest the arrests being made.^[2][4] A total of 44 people were reportedly arrested by ICE across several locations on the day.^[3]

Later that day, protestors organized outside of the Los Angeles Federal Building and near the city's detention center to protest the immigration raids. The crowd was met with Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers, who arrested more than 100 people and dispersed the crowd using pepper-spray balls.^[2][4] The protests escalated in the following days.

Developments

Paramount Home Depot Raid

On June 7th, 2025, Assemblymember José Luis Solache Jr. of Paramount, California, posted on social media about ICE vehicles stationed near a Home Depot, where they were positioned to raid undocumented workers in the parking lot. Protestors gathered to meet the ICE officers, who positioned themselves in nearby Compton next to a Dale's Donuts.^[5]

Photos and videos from the scene went viral online, like one photo of protestors posing with a burning car (shown below). The image went viral across several tweets^[6][7] and other social media posts.

A video of the same scene was posted by X^[9] user @FilmThePoliceLA on June 7th, receiving over 4.9 million views, 11,000 likes and 580 comments in two days (shown below).

ICE Protest in Compton, 4:49pm: pic.twitter.com/knQdMSh3pS

— Film The Police LA (@FilmThePoliceLA) June 8, 2025

Mexican Flag Motorcyclist Photo

On June 7th, 2025, during the clash between ICE agents and protestors in Compton, a photograph of a man riding a motorcycle and waving the Mexican flag was taken by Reuters^[12] (shown below). The image became the focus of several viral tweets^[13][14] and other social media posts.

President Trump Deploys National Guard

On June 8th, 2025, U.S. President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles over the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom.^[10]

Destroyed Waymo Cars

On June 8th, 2025, multiple self-driving Waymo vehicles were destroyed and vandalized amid protests in LA. Videos and photos were widely shared on social media, sites like X. For example, X^[11] user @BGOnTheScene posted a video of the Waymo car, receiving over 12.6 million views, 27,000 likes and 2,900 replies in a day (shown below).

Multiple Waymo vehicles set ablaze here in LA pic.twitter.com/p2iVDUbEIL

— Brendan Gutenschwager (@BGOnTheScene) June 9, 2025

Online Reactions

Many memes and viral posts were shared online during the ICE protests in LA in early June 2025 as the events spread and sparked discussions.

For instance, on June 8th, 2025, X^[6] user and conservative pundit Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) tweeted a cropped version of the Dale's Donuts photo, captioning it, "Deport!" gaining over 48,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Later on June 8th, X^[7] user @whoahannahjo quote-tweeted Kirk, writing, "Dude picked The Coolest Picture Ever to make his point LMAO," receiving over 114,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Other posts about the Home Depot raid surfaced online, like a tweet shared by X^[8] user @dondisappoints on June 7th, 2025, who wrote, "ICE is really willing to gas the whole city to abduct people from the parking lot of Home Depot," gaining over 30,000 likes in a day (shown below).

On June 8th, X^[13] user Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) shared the photo of the man waving the Mexican flag on a bike, captioning it, "Incredible ad for MASS DEPORTATIONS." The post received over 111,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Also on June 8th, X^[14] user @David_J_Bier quote-tweeted Libs of TikTok, writing, "LA was at peace before the mass deportations started so this is an ad for what mass deportations will do to our country," gaining over 38,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Later on June 8th, 2025, X^[15] user @KlonnyPin_Gosch tweeted a different photo from the Compton protest, showing ICE officers and law enforcement in front of the Dale's Donuts sign. The angle and crop made it look like the officers were defending donuts, akin to the stereotype that cops like donuts. In a day, the tweet received roughly 10,000 likes (shown below).

Various memes related to the protests in LA spread on Reddit in early June 2025, such as posts to the subreddit /r/dankmemes.^[19]

For instance, a post to /r/dankmemes^[20] by Redditor rishabh2996 using the Ben Affleck Smoking meme received over 3,100 upvotes and 140 comments in a day (shown below).

American Flag vs. Mexican Flag Debate

A debate occurred on X during the June 2025 protests about the use of the Mexican flag as opposed to the American flag.

Notably, on June 7th, 2025, Twitch streamer Asmongold replied to White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller on X,^[16] writing, "An easy way to check if a protest is in America is the flags. Are they all of one country? Not America. Are they a random bunch of countries + pride/identity flags? America." The tweet gained over 12,000 likes in two days (shown below).

On June 8th, fellow Twitch streamer Hasan Piker quote-tweeted^[17] Asmongold, writing, "Yeah can't believe people would wave Mexico flags in fucking California!" further calling Asmongold a "rotting husk." The quote-tweet gained over 38,000 likes in a day (shown below).

Search Interest

External References