U.S. President Donald Trump has said he is considering invoking the Insurrection Act following violent protests in Los Angeles sparked by recent federal immigration raids.

Speaking at the White House, Trump defended the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles, claiming the city would be “on fire” without their presence.

“We had to act. What’s happening in Los Angeles is lawlessness, funded by radical groups and paid troublemakers,” Trump stated.

The unrest erupted after a series of mass U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests across the city, which critics say targeted undocumented immigrants indiscriminately. Protesters clashed with law enforcement over the weekend, leading to dozens of arrests and injuries.

President Trump confirmed that he spoke with California Governor Gavin Newsom and urged stronger action from local authorities. “We need the cooperation of every state. If they can’t control it, the federal government will step in,” he said.

The Insurrection Act, last invoked in 1992 during the Los Angeles riots, allows the president to deploy U.S. military forces domestically in cases of civil disorder or rebellion.

Critics warn that invoking the act now would escalate tensions and raise constitutional concerns about federal overreach.

Governor Newsom has not publicly commented on the call, but California officials have previously criticized the federal government’s handling of immigration enforcement.