House Democrats Split on Resolution Condemning LA Riots

On Friday morning, seven House Democrats expressed their opposition to a resolution that condemned the riots in Los Angeles.

The resolution, introduced by Republican Rep. Young Kim from California, passed with a vote of 215 to 195. Two California Democrats, Jim Costa and Adam Gray, supported it, while the majority of their colleagues from California chose to oppose the measure aimed at denouncing violence in the state’s largest cities.

The riots, which erupted on June 6 in response to an incident involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in downtown Los Angeles, are estimated to cost the city over $30 million. Protesters clashed with law enforcement, leading to violent outbursts, looting of stores, and even the burning of self-driving cars.

Republican lawmakers condemned the property destruction and violence against police, but Democrats had differing views on whether the events should be labeled as a riot or simply recognized as unfortunate occurrences.

Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader, refrained from calling the incidents “riots.” He described them instead as a source of “anxiety” when questioned by a reporter.

Democrat Jamie Raskin, who serves on the Judiciary Committee, criticized the resolution as being “completely partisan” during his remarks on the House floor prior to the vote. He expressed sorrow over the violent events while also questioning the focus on law enforcement in the resolution.

The resolution thanked ICE for “keeping the community safe in the face of danger.” Some progressive House Democrats have been critical of federal immigration officials’ roles in enforcing deportation policies.

Florida Democrat Maxwell Frost referred to illegal immigrants as “terrorism in our community” earlier this month. Additionally, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a representative from New York, has frequently called for the abolition of ICE in various campaign communications recently.

Republican lawmakers defended their resolution against the criticisms from House Democrats, highlighting the challenges faced by law enforcement agencies at all levels as they confront violence from some protesters.

In a statement, one GOP lawmaker emphasized, “[W]E will not tolerate violence against law enforcement officials.”