L.A. Mayor Bass Claims ICE Raids to Blame for Riots, Looting

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) claimed that immigration raids conducted in Los Angeles on Friday are to blame for the rioting and looting that has occurred in the city.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Bass spoke about how “everything was peaceful” in Los Angeles and other cities and that “things began to be difficult on Friday” when U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducted raids.

Bass also suggested that the riots, looting, and violence that have ensued were “provoked by the White House,” and claimed that “maybe we are part of a national experiment to determine how far the federal government can go in” taking power.

“A week ago, everything was peaceful in the city of Los Angeles and in all of the representatives behind me, in their cities as well,” Bass said. “Things began to be difficult on Friday, when raids took place, and it’s important that I begin there because that is the cause of the problems that have happened in the city of Los Angeles and other cities.”

Bass added: “This was provoked by the White House. 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, our residents in fear.”

As Breitbart News previously reported, more than 40 people were arrested on Friday as ICE agents carried out immigration raids and served several search warrants in the parking lot of a Home Depot, and at two Ambience Apparel office locations:

Federal agents served four search warrants and nearly two dozen people were detained outside a Home Depot near MacArthur Park, NBC Los Angeles reported on Friday. The agents also went to two office locations of Ambience Apparel in the downtown area.

In response to demonstrators throwing rocks at Border Patrol vehicles, vandalizing federal buildings, and setting fire to vehicles, on Saturday, President Donald Trump deployed 2,000 California National Guardsmen to quell the violence.

Chief Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell revealed in a post on X Monday that the Department of Defense would be “mobilizing an additional 2,000 California National Guard.”

“At the order of the President, the Department of Defense is mobilizing an additional 2,000 California National Guard to be called into federal service to support ICE & to enable federal law-enforcement officers to safely conduct their duties,” Parnell said.

In response to Trump federalizing the National Guard, Democrats, such as California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), former Vice President Kamala Harris, and Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), have claimed that deploying the National Guard is a “purposefully inflammatory” move and a “dangerous escalation.”

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) claimed during a press conference, that the rioters looting businesses, throwing objects at law enforcement officials, and setting fire to and vandalizing vehicles were caught up in “the exuberance of the moment.”