President Donald J. Trump has vowed to bring law and order back to Los Angeles, calling the ongoing unrest “an insurrection fueled by illegal migrants and radical agitators.” In a fiery Sunday night statement, Trump declared that his administration would not stand by as mobs torch vehicles, assault law enforcement, and block highways.
“This chaos ends now,” Trump wrote. “We are deploying the National Guard, federal law enforcement, and if needed, military forces to shut down these migrant riots and liberate Los Angeles from the grip of criminal mobs.”
The response follows days of spiraling violence in the city, where federal agents conducting ICE operations were met with coordinated attacks. Rioters hurled fireworks, concrete, and glass bottles at federal officers, torched self-driving taxis, and occupied the 101 Freeway. Local law enforcement confirmed dozens of arrests, as protest zones turned into war zones.
Despite the violence, California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have blasted the federal response. Newsom called Trump’s actions “illegal,” and Bass accused the administration of “militarizing our city.” Neither official has condemned the attacks on federal agents.
Trump’s team pushed back hard. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced a zero-tolerance directive and said that up to 5,000 additional federal personnel—many with military training—were on standby if local officials failed to regain control. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed coordination with ICE, the National Guard, and federal marshals to remove violent actors and restore the rule of law.
Attorney General Pam Bondi called the attacks on federal officers “a coordinated insurrection,” and said criminal charges would follow for anyone interfering with immigration enforcement.
Trump’s message was clear: lawless sanctuary policies and soft-on-crime leadership have turned parts of California into breeding grounds for anarchy. And he’s not waiting for permission to act.
“Los Angeles will be freed,” Trump said. “We will restore safety, remove the illegals, and end the lawlessness. This is our country—not theirs.”
