National Guard in downtown Santa Ana after protesters clashed with police over ICE raids

National Guard units blocked off roadways in portions of the county Civic Center on Tuesday morning, a day after tensions over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations across Southern California spread to Orange County, resulting in clashes between protesters and law enforcement in Downtown Santa Ana.

As workers and visitors at nearby government buildings and downtown businesses carried on their normal routine, military-style vehicles and National Guards troops blocked a portion of 4th Street in front of the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and Courthouse and a part of Santa Ana Boulevard in front of a federal building a couple blocks away.

Workers were actively removing graffiti — most of which condemned ICE in explicit language — from government and private buildings. Some early-morning downtown visitors stopped to take photos of the military vehicles and National Guard soldiers in the normally quiet downtown area.

A day earlier, reports of federal immigration authorities apparently targeting day laborers waiting for work outside local Home Depot locations sparked protests in Santa Ana. Crowds grew and eventually faced off with police.

The outbreak of violence drew condemnation from city leaders.

“What we are seeing in Santa Ana right now is pure violence and destruction of our city and businesses,” Mayor Valerie Amezcua wrote in a statement late Monday night. “Please go home and remember this is our city, do not destroy it. At some point this protest became nothing but pure chaos and violence. You have Santa Ana council members and a county supervisor condoning this destruction!!! What was accomplished today??? Pls be safe, stay home, take care of one another and if you are arrested you may face FEDERAL charges which are quite serious. Pls stop the violence.”

There were 11 arrests in the area on Monday night, Santa Ana Officer Natalie Garcia said, including for charges ranging from failure to disperse to vandalism to assaulting a police officer. There were reports of minor injuries to both demonstrators and officers, Garcia said, but none that required anyone to be taken to a hospital.

Santa Ana officers will have an increased presence in the downtown area on Tuesday, Garcia said. The National Guard is expected to focus on protecting the federal building, not actively policing the larger downtown area, Garcia added.

“We support people’s First Amendment rights to peacefully assemble and protest, but if and when they escalate then it is no longer a peaceful assembly and we are going to do everything we can to restore order,” Garcia said. “We just ask everyone to come out in a peaceful manner.”

Protesters clash with law enforcement in Santa Ana after day of ICE raids in OC

Photos: Santa Ana Police declare riot as immigration raids spark day-long protest