Donald Trump has vowed to “liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion,” amid violent clashes between members of the state national guard and anti-immigration enforcement protesters.
The president took to Truth Social on Sunday, where he promised that “the Illegals will be expelled” and that the city would be “set free,” as troops confronted demonstrators on the streets of downtown LA – using tear gas and “less lethal munitions” to disperse crowds.
“A once great American City, Los Angeles, has been invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals,” the president wrote. “Now violent, insurrectionist mobs are swarming and attacking our Federal Agents to try and stop our deportation operations — But these lawless riots only strengthen our resolve.
“I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, and Attorney General Pam Bondi, in coordination with all other relevant Departments and Agencies, to take all such action necessary to liberate Los Angeles from the Migrant Invasion, and put an end to these Migrant riots.
“Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free. Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
Tensions escalated throughout the day on Sunday, following on from unrest the previous evening. Images showed vehicles on fire, and protesters throwing fireworks towards armed and helmeted law enforcement officers.
Police and demonstrators later squared off outside the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles, with graffiti reading “f*** ICE,” “f*** LAPD,” written across nearby buildings. On Sunday afternoon the LAPD declared that the city was on “tactical alert.”
The force added later that an unlawful assembly had been declared in part of the city, with a dispersal order issued and arrests being made.
Clashes began after ICE operations across Los Angeles County resulted in the arrests of 118 immigrants, including 44 people on Friday – according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Trump also told reporters on Sunday that the administration was “going to have troops everywhere,” even threatening to make good on the promise of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to send in U.S. Marines to help enforce order.
When asked what “the bar” was for mobilizing active duty Marines, the president replied: “The bar is what I think it is.”
“We’re gonna have troops everywhere, we’re not going to let this happen to our country, we’re not going to let our country be torn apart like it was under Biden.”
Trump also introduced a new phrase in response to the ongoing unrest in Los Angeles. “When they spit at people— they spit, that’s their new thing—when that happens, I have a little statement: they spit, we hit,” he told reporters on Sunday... If that happens, they get hit very hard.”
The phrase is reminiscent of a previous, controversial adage introduced by Trump during the protests of 2020 – “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
Despite the president’s goading, authorities in Los Angeles urged residents to keep calm, with Governor Gavin Newsom telling Californians: “Don’t give Donald Trump what he wants.”
“Speak up. Stay peaceful. Stay calm. Do not use violence and respect the law enforcement officers that are trying their best to keep the peace,” Newsom wrote on X. He later added that the president was “trying to manufacture a crisis in LA County — deploying troops not for order, but to create chaos.”
“Don’t take the bait. Never use violence or harm law enforcement.”
LA Mayor Karen Bass had similar strong words, telling KTLA on Sunday morning that she was “very disappointed” in the president’s response. “To me, this is just completely unnecessary, and I think it’s the [Trump] administration just posturing,” she said.
“I’ve spoken to the governor several times…I have not yet talked to the president, but I have talked to officials high up in his administration, and I expressed to them that things were not out of control in the City of Los Angeles... To me, this is just political.”
Like Newsom, Bass later issued another strong statement, writing on X: “Deploying federalized troops on the heels of these raids is a chaotic escalation.
“The fear people are feeling in our city right now is very real – it’s felt in our communities and within our families and it puts our neighborhoods at risk. This is the last thing that our city needs, and I urge protestors to remain peaceful.”
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