Trump Defends Military Deployment to Los Angeles as Anti-ICE Riots Continue
by Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – President Donald Trump on Tuesday defended his decision to deploy thousands of California National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles, as the city entered its fourth night of violent protests against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Trump warned that without federal intervention, the destruction in the city would have been far worse.
“If I didn’t ‘send in the troops’ to Los Angeles the last three nights that once beautiful and great city would be burning to the ground right now,” the president wrote on social media, comparing the chaos to January’s wildfires, which destroyed more than 25,000 homes in the area.
President Trump authorized the deployment of 4,000 California National Guard members and 700 U.S. Marines to restore order after anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles erupted into widespread violence. Demonstrators have clashed with police, set vehicles ablaze, and vandalized businesses in what some officials are now describing as an outright “insurrection.”
The unrest escalated further Monday night when rioters looted a prominent Apple store in downtown Los Angeles. Video from the scene shows dozens of masked individuals in hoodies ransacking the store, with at least one person smashing a side window to escape with stolen merchandise.
Despite the chaos, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have condemned the federal deployment, calling it both unnecessary and inflammatory. On Monday, Newsom and state Attorney General Rob Bonta filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that federalizing the National Guard unlawfully infringes on California’s sovereignty.
Trump hit back, blaming state and city leadership for failing not only to control the violence but also to address the housing crisis following the fires. “The federal permitting is DONE,” he posted. “Call your incompetent governor and mayor.”
The president also signaled that he may invoke the Insurrection Act if violence continues. “If there’s an insurrection, I would certainly invoke it. We’ll see,” he told reporters. “But I can tell you, last night was terrible.”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller escalated the rhetoric, accusing Mayor Bass of enabling the unrest by suggesting that ICE’s presence was to blame for the riots. “This is the definition of insurrection,” Miller said. “L.A. and California leadership demand the right to illegally import unlimited foreigners… and if they are not so permitted they will allow mobs to target ICE with impunity.”
Underlying the protests are widespread misconceptions about federal immigration enforcement. Critics have decried ICE’s recent tactics as authoritarian and even likened them to Nazi-era roundups. Democratic Rep. Norma Torres of California posted a video demanding, “ICE get the f– out of LA.”
ICE officers have reported a 400% increase in assaults nationwide, including attacks with rocks and fireworks in Los Angeles. Despite being a sanctuary city, Los Angeles cannot legally block federal officers from executing arrests.
Much of the current backlash stems from the stark contrast between enforcement policies under President Trump and the Biden administration. “We just had four years of absent-minded policy and lack of enforcement, which fuels this,” an ICE official said.
ICE has taken a more assertive posture under Trump, including the arrest of Newark’s mayor after he attempted to enter a detention facility and the rescinding of Biden-era arrest limitations. As a result, arrests of non-criminal immigrants have quadrupled, though ICE says that over 75% of detainees still have criminal convictions or pending charges.
Meanwhile, the FBI has launched an investigation into the funding behind the riots. “The FBI is investigating any and all monetary connections responsible for these riots,” said FBI Director Kash Patel.
Despite calls for de-escalation, political tensions remain high. House Speaker Mike Johnson declined to call for Governor Newsom’s arrest but suggested he “should be tarred and feathered.”
As unrest continues and President Trump considers further federal action, the standoff between state and federal authorities is poised to escalate, with the nation watching closely. Adding fuel to the fire, numerous accounts on X are reporting that left-wing activists are planning to “rise up” nationwide on June 14th, calling it a “day of defiance.”
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