Federal officials are sounding the alarm after violent mobs confronted ICE agents in Los Angeles, blaming what they call “reckless and dangerous” rhetoric from Democrat leaders for fueling the chaos. As agents attempted to carry out lawful immigration enforcement, they were met with hostility and aggression from protesters emboldened by the left’s ongoing campaign to demonize border enforcement.
Over 7,000 rioters surrounded a federal law enforcement building and assaulted ICE law enforcement officers heading into the weekend. They slashed tires, defaced buildings, and taxpayer-funded property. Multiple people were detained in LA by immigration agents following the violent protests. Demonstrators also tried to break into the Roybal Federal Building.
It took the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) two hours to respond.
Attorney General Pam Bondi promised that the Department of Justice would prosecute anyone who obstructs or assaults a law enforcement officer.
“It doesn’t matter if you’re a judge, a member of Congress, or a protester in Los Angeles,” she said.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a statement on Saturday criticizing Democratic politicians, particularly Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Boston Mayor Wu, failed Democrat vice presidential candidate Tim Walz, and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, for villainizing and demonizing ICE law enforcement.
The Department of Homeland Security reported a 413 percent increase in assaults on officers. I recently noted that ICE agents' family members have been doxxed and targeted, prompting many officers to begin wearing masks during operations for their safety.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem vowed to hold those assaulting ICE agents accountable and said that ICE will continue to enforce the law despite how violent and disorderly protestors become.
“A message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down," Noem wrote on X. "@ICEgov will continue to enforce the law. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Her statement follows an incident near a Home Depot in Paramount, California, where tear gas was deployed as ICE agents were reportedly conducting a raid. Military helicopters were also dispatched to the scene.
Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin condemned the violent attacks on ICE agents in Los Angeles, calling them "despicable" and demanding that Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) speak out against the violence. She blamed Democrat leaders for fueling hostility toward ICE through inflammatory rhetoric and comparisons to the Nazi Gestapo, which she says have contributed to a rise in assaults on federal agents.