Immigration raids in Southern California set off clashes in Orange County

A protest against immigration raids on Monday night in Santa Ana, located about 50 kilometers east of downtown Los Angeles, resulted in multiple injuries and arrests after demonstrators clashed with federal authorities and local police.

The protest was triggered by a series of raids carried out earlier in the day by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) across Santa Ana, the county seat of Orange County, which has a population of over 300,000.

Orange County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento told the Orange County Register that immigration agents appeared to have specifically targeted day laborers waiting for work.

By the evening, at least 200 protesters had gathered outside a federal building in downtown Santa Ana – home to ICE and other federal offices – waving flags and holding signs to denounce the enforcement actions.

According to the Orange County Register, tensions escalated after law enforcement began firing into the crowd. 

Dylan Carranca, 23, of Fullerton, told the newspaper he witnessed federal agents throwing tear gas canisters into the demonstrators.

"We were just standing there. I didn't see anything get thrown by our side, and then all of a sudden, we saw three get thrown. One on the right, one in the middle, and one on the left. I saw one land and I took off running," Carranca said, whose eyes had turned red from the gas.

A woman who identified herself as a volunteer nurse told City News Service that multiple people were treated for injuries sustained when law enforcement used rubber bullets against the crowd.

The Santa Ana Police Department confirmed that federal agents deployed tear gas, pepper balls, and rubber bullets. Authorities said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli had personally contacted the city to request assistance, claiming that federal agents were being "overrun" at the site.

However, Santa Ana City Councilmember Jessie Lopez, who was present at the protest, disputed that account. "Overrun? That's a lie," she told Voice of OC, Orange County's nonprofit newsroom.

Lopez also disclosed that over the weekend, the city's jails had been used to house individuals arrested during earlier protests in Los Angeles. The city has an existing contract with the U.S. Marshals Service to detain federal defendants awaiting court hearings.

Local media reported that several arrests were made during Monday night's unrest, with alleged offenses including setting off fireworks and throwing objects at officers.

In a controversial move, the Trump administration on Monday ordered U.S. Marines into Los Angeles and intensified ICE operations targeting suspected undocumented immigrants – further fueling public anger and drawing concern from Democratic leaders over what they described as a growing national crisis.

Officials said approximately 700 Marines based in Southern California were expected to arrive in Los Angeles by Monday night or Tuesday morning as part of a federal plan to suppress the widening street demonstrations.

(With input from agencies)