Vice President JD Vance visited Los Angeles on Friday, amidst a backdrop of immigration protests and ongoing raids by federal authorities that have sparked significant tension in the city.
Upon his arrival, Vance held a press conference at the federal building in Westwood, where he addressed the recent immigration raids and criticized the actions of California Governor Gavin Newsom, alleging that Newsom has incited protests that endanger law enforcement personnel.
“You had people who were doing the simple job of enforcing the law, and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor, making it harder for them to do their job. That is disgraceful. And it is why the president has responded so forcefully,” Vance declared.
He emphasized the administration’s position on immigration enforcement, stating that the need to protect borders is paramount and that many criminals must be removed from the country.
Vance accused both Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of treating law enforcement, specifically Border Patrol, as an illegitimate entity, claiming they have actively encouraged illegal immigration.
“We have a public official in Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who over the past few years have actively encouraged illegal migration into this community, have strained public services, have strained law enforcement, and really have offered generous benefits not to American citizens, but to illegal immigrants, to break the law, to come into our country and to receive generous public assistance for having done so,” he added.
During his remarks, Vance also highlighted violent encounters faced by law enforcement officers, stating that they are being captured and beaten by mobs instigated by local officials. He pointed to this violence as justification for President Trump activating the National Guard in Los Angeles.
Emphasizing the administration’s focus on deporting undocumented immigrants, Vance declared that priority would be given to apprehending violent criminals, such as rapists and drug cartel members.
When asked about the administration’s focus on Democratic figures, Vance took aim at California Senator Alex Padilla, referring to him as ‘Jose Padilla,’ which further infuriated local officials.
During his trip, he also met with local leadership and U.S. Marines to discuss the situation further.
In response to Vance’s remarks, Mayor Bass quickly condemned the Vice President’s statements as lies, asserting that they create a false narrative of the events occurring in Los Angeles.
“The Vice President of the United States spent 3 or 4 hours in LA before holding a press conference and spewing lies and utter nonsense in an attempt to provoke division and conflict in our city,” Bass declared during her remarks from City Hall.
She voiced that the administration’s raids have instilled panic and fear among immigrant communities, making many too afraid to go to work or even leave their homes. Bass pointed out that this climate of fear is hurting local businesses, causing them to lose employees and customers.
“Let me just tell you, like yesterday, what happened at the Dodgers, we’re not sure who these armed men are. They show up without uniforms. They show up completely masked. They refuse to give I.D., they’re driving regular cars with tinted windows and in some cases, out-of-state license plates. Who are these people? And frankly, the vest that they have on looks like they ordered them from Amazon. Are they bounty hunters? Are they vigilantes?” Bass exclaimed, raising concerns about the legitimacy of those conducting the raids.
She also challenged Vance’s disrespectful comments towards Senator Padilla, highlighting that as the Vice President, he serves as the President of the U.S. Senate and has a duty to show respect to all elected officials.
“You don’t know his name, but yet you served with him before you were vice president. And you continue to serve with him today? Because the last time I checked, the Vice President of the United States is the president of the U.S. Senate. You serve with him today. And how dare you disrespect him and call him Jose. But I guess he just looks like anybody to you. Well, he’s not just anybody to us. He is our senator,” Bass stated emphatically.
The escalating situation has prompted Governor Newsom to publicly challenge Vance to a debate over these contentious immigration issues.
“Hey @JDVance— nice of you to finally make it out to California. Since you’re so eager to talk about me, how about saying it to my face? Let’s debate. Time and place?” Newsom responded on social media, directly addressing the Vice President.
The current unrest in Los Angeles results from protests against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement policies, which included President Trump ordering the National Guard to Los Angeles in June to support law enforcement amidst backlash from local populations.
Newsom has propelled a lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the federal government is overstepping by deploying the National Guard without state consent.
The legal battle regarding the National Guard’s presence in Los Angeles has seen recent developments, with a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruling affirming the administration’s authority to maintain control over the National Guard troops stationed there.
The ruling countered a lower court decision that sought to restore command of the troops to Governor Newsom, allowing the federal administration to uphold its significant military presence in response to public safety concerns.
Following the appeals court’s ruling, Trump expressed satisfaction, framing the decision as a validation of federal authority in protecting public safety against riots and unrest.
“BIG WIN in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on the President’s core power to call in the National Guard! The Judges obviously realized that Gavin Newscum is incompetent and ill prepared, but this is much bigger than Gavin, because all over the United States, if our Cities, and our people, need protection, we are the ones to give it to them should State and Local Police be unable, for whatever reason, to get the job done, ” President Trump stated in a post to Truth Social.
As political tension escalates, the discussion about immigration enforcement and public safety in Los Angeles continues to be a pivotal issue, with Vance and local officials firmly entrenched in opposing viewpoints.
image source from：foxla
