The Los Angeles Police Department is admitting it wasn’t fully prepared for last summer’s anti-ICE protests. A new after-action report blames poor coordination during the protests against the Trump administration.
Over two weeks in 2025, LAPD officers made 435 arrests — and the department racked up more than $12 million in overtime.
The department says large crowds were infiltrated by “agitators,” making the use of force unavoidable. LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell said L.A. experienced “unprecedented levels of violence — not seen anywhere else in the country,” noting that around 50 LAPD officers were injured. Federal officials say ICE and other federal agents were also assaulted during the unrest.
The Department of Homeland Security reported that more than 1,000 protesters surrounded a federal law-enforcement building on June 6 and that ICE officers were assaulted. DHS also reported rocks, fireworks and Molotov cocktails being thrown at federal officers during the broader unrest.
At least six California Highway Patrol officers were injured during a major protest on June 8, 2025 as anti-ICE unrest in Los Angeles led to CHP officers being attacked with rocks, bottles and other objects while clearing protesters from the 101 Freeway. One CHP patrol vehicle was set on fire.
The new LAPD report released Tuesday blamed poor planning and coordination for issues with the department’s response that erupted on the city streets in opposition to the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
Critics said the LAPD report failed to address injuries caused by the use of less-lethal weapons and aggressive actions by officers against members of the media.
