The turmoil in Los Angeles following aggressive ICE raids reveals deeper fractures within American democracy. From an Indian perspective, the crisis underscores troubling contradictions between the U.S.’s global advocacy for human rights and its domestic actions—raising urgent questions about constitutional balance, civil liberties, and the future of democratic governance.
The unfolding crisis in Los Angeles in June 2025, marked by aggressive ICE raids and the ensuing protests, reflects not just a localized unrest but a deeper erosion in America’s democratic and constitutional fabric. From India’s vantage point, this situation highlights serious contradictions between America’s global rhetoric on human rights and its current domestic conduct. The events are being closely observed in New Delhi—not just as a diplomatic concern, but as a case study in democratic resilience and federal balance.
The immediate trigger for the protests was a series of high-profile raids conducted by ICE on June 6, which led to the detention of over 118 undocumented immigrants across Los Angeles, particularly in areas like Paramount and downtown. These operations were conducted in broad daylight, with masked agents and heavy paramilitary tactics. Their severity and scale provoked widespread public outrage, with civil rights groups, legal experts, and celebrities uniting to decry what they called a moral and legal violation of human dignity.
From an Indian democratic lens, several key concerns emerge:
1. Violation of Due Process: Many detainees were reportedly arrested without warrants—an alarming breach of legal procedure. For a country that often critiques others, including India, for rights violations, this undermines its moral authority.
2. Family Separation and Moral Trauma: Viral videos of families being torn apart—children wailing as their parents were detained—generated immense emotional response. Such imagery deeply clashes with the humanitarian values that the U.S. claims to uphold globally.
3. Suppression of Free Assembly: Peaceful protests in response to the raids were met with an aggressive state response involving tear gas, flash-bangs, and rubber bullets. This mirrors strategies often condemned in authoritarian regimes, which makes the American stance appear hypocritical.
The most alarming development, however, came with President Trump’s decision to invoke Title 10 to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines into the city—without the consent of California’s Governor Gavin Newsom. This federal overreach has triggered a constitutional standoff and set a dangerous precedent. To Indian observers, this evokes memories of internal emergency measures used during times of political strain, a reminder of the fragile line between constitutional authority and autocratic control.
Furthermore, the federal response has reignited the debate on the militarization of civil spaces. Labeling largely peaceful protests as "riots" reflects a disturbing trend of narrative control by the state, delegitimizing dissent and justifying violent crackdowns. This not only undermines democratic values but also risks making coercive governance a new normal.
The ripple effects have been felt nationwide, with solidarity protests erupting in cities like New York, Chicago, and Atlanta. Politically, the situation is aggravating polarization. The American right views the unrest as proof of liberal lawlessness, while the left interprets it as state overreach. For India, this raises questions about the U.S.'s capacity to lead the democratic world while its own house remains divided and disoriented.
Historical parallels with the 1992 Rodney King riots or the 1965 Watts Rebellion are inevitable, yet this crisis is uniquely concerning. Unlike earlier uprisings that were spontaneous and race-focused, the 2025 unrest is rooted in deliberate state action targeting immigrant communities, compounded by an unprecedented federal military response.
For India, a nation with its own democratic complexities and federal tensions, the Los Angeles crisis is both a warning and a diplomatic opportunity. It urges vigilance against similar tendencies and suggests a quiet push to hold the U.S. accountable in global forums. If America fails to correct course, its influence as a democratic exemplar may decline irreversibly.
In conclusion, the Los Angeles protests are not just about immigration—they’re about the integrity of the American republic. The world, including India, is watching, not just out of concern but out of shared democratic interest.
Akanksha Sharma is a trainee journalist at Cult Current. The views expressed in the article are
her own and do not necessarily reflect the official stance of Cult Current.