Politics
NEW: LA Leaders Under Fire After Far-Left Rioters Attack ICE Agents
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other city leaders are facing intense scrutiny after far-left rioters attacked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and surrounded a federal building in the city on Friday night.
Chaos erupted on Friday afternoon when ICE agents conducted operations targeting at least seven businesses in Los Angeles, resulting in at least 45 arrests. The locations included two Home Depot stores, a store in the fashion district and a doughnut shop, according to Angelica Salas, the executive director of the Coalition of Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), who held an afternoon press conference to denounce the actions.
Mobs of far-left militants surrounded agents outside one business in the city’s fashion district, overhead aerial footage from KTLA shows. Rioters proceeded to hurl projectiles at federal agents as they attempted to leave the scene, which prompted them to deploy tear gas and flash bangs in an effort to disperse the crowd.
One rioter positioned himself in front of an ICE vehicle and proceeded to backpedal as agents attempted to get around him. The rioter eventually fell backwards and hit his head on the road, footage shows.
Later in the day, a large mob began marching towards the ICE detention facility at the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building.
Rioters soon made their way to the building’s entrance, where they proceeded to spray paint phrases like “f**k ICE” and “Death To Amerikkka” on the outside of the building. Other rioters proceeded to smash windows and vehicle barriers with hammers, footage obtained by on-the-ground reporter Anthony Cabassa shows.
Even as federal agents were surrounded by the mob, the Los Angeles Police Department was ordered not to respond by Chief Jim McDonnell.
“Today the LAPD became aware that federal law enforcement agencies conducted activities in the City of Los Angeles. I’m aware that these actions cause anxiety for many Angelenos, so I want to make it clear: the LAPD is not involved in civil immigration enforcement,” McDonnell wrote in a press release as the riots were ongoing. “While the LAPD will continue to have a visible presence in all our communities to ensure public safety, we will not assist or participate in any sort of mass deportations nor will the LAPD try to determine an individual’s immigration status.”
Under the city’s “sanctuary” policies — which openly defy federal immigration law — city police officers have been barred from participating in immigration enforcement actions since 1979. “I want everyone, including our immigrant community, to feel safe calling the police in their time of need and know that the LAPD will be there for you without regard to one’s immigration status.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass echoed the police chief’s defiance in a statement of her own.
“This morning, we received reports of federal immigration enforcement actions in multiple locations in Los Angeles. As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our city in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place,” Mayor Karen Bass wrote in an X post. “These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city. My Office is in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations. We will not stand for this.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller soon issued a direct rebuke of the mayor’s statement, in which he informed her that she had no legal basis to interfere. “You have no say in this at all. Federal law is supreme and federal law will be enforced,” Miller posted on X.
Shortly after 7 p.m. local time, LAPD finally responded to the scene and proceeded to clear rioters from the facility in order to allow federal agents to escape. Police proceeded to push the crowd down the road before declaring an unlawful assembly.
Rioters were told that arrests would commence if they did not leave the scene, footage obtained by Cabassa shows, though it is unclear how many arrests, if any, were ultimately made by LAPD.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin issued a pointed response to Mayor Bass’ “we will not stand” for this statement in an X post on Saturday morning, in which she repeated the mayor’s own words alongside extremist messages and acts of violence on the part of the rioters.
“The violent targeting of law enforcement in Los Angeles by lawless protestors is despicable,” the department wrote in an official statement. “These men and women work every day, putting their lives on the line, to protect and defend the lives of American citizens. Mayor Bass, ICE is not responsible for ‘sowing a sense of terror’ the protestors YOU enabled are.”
It is unclear whether any federal charges are forthcoming for rioters, or Los Angeles city leaders, as of this report.
