Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass blamed the Trump administration for violent riots that erupted after immigration enforcement actions in the city. She said federal agents tore families apart and used military presence to scare people. Her comments came after 2000 National Guard troops and 500 Marines were sent to Los Angeles. Mayor Bass believes the city is being used to test how much federal power can override local control. She said agents were supposed to target dangerous criminals but instead were raiding workplaces and homes.

“This was provoked by the White House,” Bass said. 

“The reason why—we don't know. I posit that maybe we are part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in reaching in and taking over power from a governor, power from a local jurisdiction, and frankly, leaving our city and our citizens… in fear.”

The protests quickly turned violent as anti-ICE crowds set fires and looted stores across several neighborhoods. Bass did not condemn the rioting but said it was limited to a six-mile area. She was joined by mayors and officials from over 30 nearby cities who called for ICE and the military to leave California. They said federal enforcement has caused fear not safety.

Tension Grows Between Local Leaders And Trump Administration

El Monte Mayor Jessica Ancona demanded that federal troops and ICE agents be removed from California cities. Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores called Trump’s actions unconstitutional and reminded Marines their duty is to the American people not to a president. Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons said her city is building funds to support immigrant families affected by the raids. The White House responded by accusing radical left leaders of protecting criminals. Trump defended the deployment by calling it a necessary step against coordinated attacks on law enforcement.