Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass characterized the recent actions by Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the city as largely a form of “political retaliation” against the populace of Democratic cities.
In a post on the platform x, she expressed, “Angelenos are just trying to work and care for their families while dealing with the ongoing threat of sudden immigration raids.”
She further stated, “This fear paralyzes the community. We’ve seen this before. Children became so fearful of going to school that families were torn apart without any warning. Don’t disguise this as public safety. It’s political retaliation.”
Tom Homan, a former border czar under President Trump, remarked that the protests in Los Angeles have made ICE’s operations “more difficult” and “dangerous.” He commented, “It’s as if we’re living in a third-world country that finds it acceptable to threaten the lives and safety of federal law enforcement officials and their families.”
During the five-day demonstration, some protesters engaged in violence, including setting cars on fire, throwing rocks at police, and vandalizing federal buildings. Democratic leaders argue that these isolated incidents do not warrant Trump’s forceful federal response.
In response, President Trump and Secretary of Defense Pete Heggs mobilized thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines, citing the need to safeguard federal immigration officials carrying out their responsibilities in the city.
California Governor Gavin Newsom publicly confronted Trump and Heggs, delivering a televised address on Tuesday night. He asserted, “This concerns all of us. This is about you. California might be the first, but it certainly won’t stop here. Other states are next. Our democracy is under attack right before our eyes.”
Protests against the Trump administration’s immigration policies have also spread to other major cities this week. Organizers of the “No Kings” movement are planning nearly 1,500 demonstrations nationwide on Saturday to protest various Trump policies, coinciding with a military parade in Washington, D.C.
The Hill reached out to ICE for comments regarding the situation.
