FREDONIA PROJECT - SITREP 5: U.S. DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY UPHEAVAL 6-10 JUNE 2025
CABLE ID: 2025-0611-FRED/WASH/UR-SITREP-005
DATE-TIME GROUP: 201200ZJUN25
FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.
TO: MFA NAGADOCHES
CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLY
SUBJECT: UR-SITREP: U.S. DOMESTIC AND NATIONAL SECURITY UPHEAVAL 6-10 JUNE 2025
SUMMARY:
IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-2, THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A SPECIAL REPORTING DISPATCH TO COVER SIGNIFICANT SUDDEN EVENTS IN THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE UR-FREDONIA PAPERS,” WILL BE CIRCULATED UNDER SPECIAL UR-SITREP PROTOCOLS. UNAUTHORIZED PUBLICATION HAS BEEN OBSERVED VIA THIRD-PARTY ENTITY KNOWN AS “THE STEADY STATE.” PRESUMED LEAK. NO ACTION REQUIRED.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency began aggressive arrests of “immigrants” in Los Angeles, California. The raids were conducted at three locations in LA, Los Angeles Fashion District, a clothing wholesaler, and a Home Depot; the ICE officials arrested over 100 people, 44 for immigration violation. This represented a significant increase in the arrest numbers, in line with President Trump’s pushing for ICE officers to arrest 3000 people every day. (Up from 660 per day during the previous months.). Trump’s Deputy Chief of Staff, and the “brains” behind Trump’s immigration efforts, Stephen Miller, was likely involved in this effort, assisted or partnered with Tom Homan, the White House Executive Associate Director of Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), or "border czar” and Special Assistant to the President and Coordinator for the Southern Border.
Each of the establishments that ICE visited employ significant numbers of immigrants. It seems likely that meeting the quota of 3000 arrests daily might have resulted in flawed authentication of immigration status; we know of at least a couple of people who’ve been swept up despite having legal or protected status in the US. And, unsurprisingly, protests erupted pretty quickly.
Protests against these arrests have resulted in the Los Angeles law enforcement use of tear gas, flash bang grenades and pepper spray to control and disperse the crowds. Among others, Service Employees International Union California (SEIU) President David Huerta was injured in the protests and arrested and hospitalized. (Note: As of this writing he has been released from the hospital He now faces federal obstruction charges and SEIU has responded with a rally to support Huerta.)
After claiming that Los Angeles and the state of California were unable/using insufficient forces to calm the protests, on Saturday, 7 June 2025, the Federal Government escalated its actions and its rhetoric, accusing the demonstrators of undermining US sovereignty. Stephen Miller called the protests “an insurrection” on social media. Scholars and linguistics experts have pointed out that this level of rhetoric is solely to set up the public to believe that what has been - by all believable accounts - largely peaceful protest, has been violent and confrontational.
That evening, Trump federalized 300 California National Guard troops under 10 U.S.C. § 12406 to support federal operations, bypassing the standard operating procedure for activating National Guard troops - which is waiting for the governor to call up troops. Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, and Karen Bass, Mayor of Los Angeles repeatedly stressed that the protests were not spread throughout LA, and were indeed largely peaceful - with occasional provocations from people who appeared not to be protesting, but stirring up violence. Deputy FBI Director Dan Bongino announced an investigation into protest-related violence, emphasizing that “lawful immigration operations” must not be obstructed. The Los Angeles Police Department declared a citywide tactical alert and authorized less-lethal munitions after protesters refused to disperse.
On Sunday, 8 June 2025, there was continued unrest in Los Angeles, with protesters blocking the US 101 freeway, and clashing with law enforcement. LAPD reported some looting and arson, and vandalizing of Waymo vehicles. (Waymo cars are fully autonomous, self-driving vehicles operated by the company Waymo (formerly Google's self-driving project). They are available as a robo taxi service and have the mission to make transportation safer, more accessible, and more sustainable.)
Additionally, on Sunday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, instructed Northern Command to put 500 Marines on “prepare to deploy status.” The legality of this move is questionable, since active military troops are only to be deployed in the United States after the President has invoked the Insurrection Act, which Trump has not done. Regardless of Administration rhetoric, these riots certainly have not yet met that threshold.
Newsom pushed back, sending a letter to Secretary of Defense, Hegseth. In that letter he called the deployment of the National Guard a “breach of state sovereignty,” (Embassy comment: given the historical preference of the Republican Party members to protect states rights at all costs, this wildly anti-states rights move emphasizes the reluctance of Republican legislators and GOP backers to push back on Trump’s aggressive moves toward autocracy.)
Trump lumbered into the rhetorical fray, threatening to deploy the Marines if “we see danger to our country and our citizens, we will act.”
The widening gap between Trump administration officials’ claims and the claims of California residents and officials was driven home when Kai Ryssdal, the widely respected, very moderate host of NPR’s Marketplace responded to a 5:06 PM post by president Trump. The post requested that all ”relevant agencies” take necessary action to liberate Los Angeles from the migrant invasion and put an end to the Migrant riots. Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled and Los Angeles will be set free.”
Ryssdal responded on the radio, saying, “I live in Los Angeles. The President is lying.”
As of early morning 10 June 2025, the showdown between the Trump administration and California officials continues. The Marines are expected to arrive, but their function is unclear, as is the justification for their being in Los Angeles. Trump has claimed on Truth Social that the protesters are “paid insurrectionists,” and “professional agitators.” (Embassy Comment: He has not specified any details or who is paying them.) He has also suggested that his immigration advisor Tom Homan might arrest Governor Newsom. (Ambassador comment: That seems a typical Trump escalation tactic. He doesn’t ask Homan to do something illegal, just suggests that he might do it, fanning the flames and then stepping away. According to Los Angeles news reporting, Newsom replied: “he knows where I am.”)
Newsom has filed a lawsuit against Trump over the Guard deployment, which he referred to as “dictatorial” and “a step toward authoritarianism.” He has also accused Trump of inflaming tensions to “create a campaign issue.” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has blamed Trump for provoking unrest via “politically motivated” ICE raids. She noted that the raids targeted a Home Depot store which is frequented by day laborers. She, and other officials from Los Angeles and other parts of California are downplaying the protests, saying that most Angelenos are unaffected.
Ambassador Comment: It is unclear how many “immigrants” and/or “migrants” were arrested during the Los Angeles raids. It seems that relatively calm protests were being managed responsibly by the Los Angeles Police Department before Donald Trump sent in the National Guard. Resistance to Trump’s agenda as a whole is becoming more significant as details of it become clearer. People who supported him in 2024 because he was going to "deal with immigration” do not support arresting and deporting people who have not committed crimes. People who supported him because prices were too high, now see prices that aren’t going down and may be increasing. As the tax breaks for the richest people in the U.S. are more clearly delineated, their effect on the population is also under more scrutiny. While no one debates Trump’s cruelty, the ICE raids in Los Angeles, the mobilization of the National Guard, and possibly the Marines, may have crossed the Rubicon. Will advise further in future URSitreps.