The green, white, and red of Mexico’s national flag has become a powerful emblem in the ongoing protests sweeping Los Angeles in response to aggressive immigration enforcement actions.
Since Friday, demonstrators have carried Mexican flags alongside those of other Latin American nations and the United States, expressing solidarity with immigrant communities and condemning the Trump administration’s workplace raids in the city’s garment district.
The protests, initially peaceful, have escalated to dozens of arrests and occasional clashes with law enforcement.
President Donald Trump responded to the unrest by deploying thousands of National Guard troops and Marines, a move sharply criticized by California Governor Gavin Newsom.
Newsom described the deployment as an “illegal takeover” and labeled the possible use of Marines “a blatant abuse of power” on social media.
The Mexican flag has long been a fixture at immigration rallies, especially in Los Angeles, which hosts the largest Mexican population of any US county—more than 3.4 million residents of Mexican descent or birth, according to Census data.
The city is widely regarded as the heart of the Mexican diaspora in the United States.
Yet the vivid imagery of protesters waving Mexican flags while confronting police has provoked backlash from Republican officials, who argue the demonstrations challenge American sovereignty and law enforcement.
As tensions escalate, Los Angeles remains a focal point of the national debate over immigration policy, identity, and civil rights.