LOS ANGELES – As demonstrations against immigration raids in Los Angeles continue to grow, state law enforcement officials are issuing warnings about the heightened risks faced by officers during these protests.
“I’ve been in this field for a long time, and I’ve encountered situations like this,” Jake Johnson, who is the president of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP), mentioned to Fox News Digital. “However, the intensity of this current situation is unprecedented.”
In the past couple of weeks, thousands have gathered in Los Angeles following raids by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in this sanctuary city. The protests have turned violent, with participants throwing objects at officers and torching various self-driving electric vehicles.
California Highway Patrol (CHP) close the bridges and access to the 101 Freeway after curfew was put into effect following days of protests in response to federal immigration operations in Los Angeles on June 10, 2025. (Apu Gomes/AFP via Getty Images)
The Guard has been sent to protect federal property and accompany officials on immigration raids. While the troops do have the ability to temporarily detain people who attack officers, any arrests must be made by law enforcement.
“As far as the interaction with [the National Guard], I haven’t seen any interaction with them,” Johnson said. “For the three or four nights I was out there, I didn’t see any National Guard. I saw what [was] on the news. They’re guarding federal facilities, but they haven’t been integrated with any of us.”
Johnson leads a union that represents approximately 7,000 patrolmen deployed throughout the state. However, he points to staffing shortages caused by attractive retirement packages, leaving a gaping hole in the department’s headcount.
“We’re almost down one thousand bodies for highway patrolmen in California,” Johnson said, adding, “We have a really hard time filling in the positions.”
As the anti-ICE protests stretch into their second week, law enforcement throughout Los Angeles is bracing for the unknown.
“When you’re out there and it’s a very dangerous situation, you don’t think about the politics or your personal politics,” Johnson said. “Cops are very good at that. I’ve been around these guys for decades and they’re my brothers and sisters. And I know they’re very, very good people. And although they might have their personal views, it doesn’t spill over into these situations.”
