Border czar Tom Homan said the National Guard will be deployed to Los Angeles as a two-day protest against the Trump administration’s deportation efforts has escalated.
Homan, who has spearheaded President Donald Trump‘s deportation operation, revealed the deployment in a Fox News appearance on Saturday.
“We’re stepping up. … We’re going to bring the National Guard in tonight, we’re going to continue doing our job. We’re going to push back on these people and we’re going to forge along,” he said.
The protests, which White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller has called “a violent insurrection,” began on Friday and continued over the weekend after several raids in the area by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Footage of the protests on Saturday show the protesters clashing with federal law enforcement, throwing objects at Customs and Border Protection vehicles and in one case blocking a federal bus in the street.
Law enforcement have also used tear gas, guns that shoot pepper balls, and zip ties, while wearing riot gear and wielding shields, to quell the chaos.
Homan condemned the violence toward law enforcement on Saturday and signaled arrests will be made.
“You can protest all you want. You got your First Amendment rights, but if you cross that line of impediment, or you put hands on officers or destroy property, you will be prosecuted. There’s zero tolerance on crossing that line, and that’s what we’re standing by,” Homan added.
The Department of Homeland Security has called on Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) to condemn the violent protests.
“The @MayorOfLA and @GavinNewsom must call on these rioters to stop their assaults on our @ICEgov law enforcement. If you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law” DHS spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin posted on X.
Both Bass and Newsom have blasted the ICE raids that resulted in 45 people detained.
Bass said she was “deeply angered” by the raids, adding that “We will not stand for this.”
“As Mayor of a proud city of immigrants, who contribute to our society in so many ways, I am deeply angered by what has taken place. These tactics sow terror in our communities and disrupt basic principles of safety in our city,” the Los Angeles mayor said.
Newsom called them “reckless” and “cruel.”
“Continued chaotic federal sweeps, across California, to meet an arbitrary arrest quota are as reckless as they are cruel. Donald Trump’s chaos is eroding trust, tearing families apart, and undermining the workers and industries that power America’s economy,” he said.
Newsom later issued a statement on Saturday night criticizing the Trump administration’s move to deploy the National Guard, saying it will “will only escalate tensions” and calling it “purposefully inflammatory.”
“The federal government is moving to take over the California National Guard and deploy 2,000 soldiers. That move is purposefully inflammatory and will only escalate tensions. LA authorities are able to access law enforcement assistance at a moment’s notice. We are in close coordination with the city and county, and there is currently no unmet need. The Guard has been admirably serving LA throughout recovery. This is the wrong mission and will erode public trust,” Newsom posted on X.
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This is a developing story.
This article was originally published at www.washingtonexaminer.com
