The White House criticized a protest in Los Angeles on Saturday, where local residents voiced their frustration over actions taken by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Stephen Miller, the Deputy Chief of Staff, referred to the gathering at the federal building in the city as a “rebellion.”
“This is a revolt against U.S. law and sovereignty,” Miller stated in an online post.
Tricia McLaughlin, a civil servant at the Department of Homeland Security, mentioned that over 800 demonstrators came together to confront numerous individuals for “attacking ICE agents, slashing tires, and damaging buildings.”
The protest occurred amid ongoing raids by authorities in nearby Paramount. McLaughlin pointed out that Los Angeles police did not respond to the events of Friday.
“To those rioters: You won’t deter us. @icegov will keep enforcing the law,” Homeland Security Secretary Christie Noem wrote on social media.
She added, “If you assault a law enforcement officer, expect to be charged to the fullest extent.”
McLaughlin reported a significant rise in assaults on law enforcement nationwide.
“There’s been a 413% increase in attacks on our ICE agents, and their families are also facing targeted harassment,” she shared on social media.
She pointed out that politicians like @Repjeffries, @Aoc, and @Tim_Walz seem to have fueled these attacks through negative rhetoric.
Some California Democrats have termed the arrests as unlawful and have accused officials from the Trump administration of “abusing their power.”
They noted that access to an ICE facility with detained immigrants was denied due to concerns over detainee welfare.
“This isn’t a misunderstanding; it’s a breach of federal law,” stated Rep. Jimmy Gomez (D-Calif) in a post.
Gomez further urged Secretary Noem to initiate an immediate investigation, suggesting that if her agency doesn’t adhere to the law, she would need to explain why.
