Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke with KTLA on Tuesday morning about the ongoing ice attacks and immigration protests that have made national headlines since Friday.
US Marines’ National Guard deployment
Bus, along with California Gov. Gavin Newsom, strongly opposed President Donald Trump’s decision over the weekend to send the National Guard. And now, the US Marines respond to daily demonstrations that have become more violent, leading to the destruction and looting of local businesses.
Bass and Newsom, who called for the state to appeal to the state over the developments, believe that the existence of the National Guard has only made the situation worse.
“The National Guard should know that there is one mission and that it protects one building (in downtown Los Angeles). So the presence of the National Guard has not quelled anything but an attack on that one building,” Bass said.
California National Guard member seen on Commerce’s I-5 convoy on June 8, 2025 (Diego Ponce/Instagram @deeg1.0)
The mayor also noted that the National Guard is guarding the second building in LA’s Westwood area but is unaware of the protests in the area.
“To have the federal government come in and take authority from the governor when it wasn’t requested is an incredible overdue of presidential authority because it wasn’t necessary,” Bass said.
Looting, vandalism by “fringe” groups
In response to multiple intrusions and robberies at businesses in the downtown Los Angeles area, Mayor Bus has denounced the “fringe” group primarily to exploit the protest due to thin law enforcement.
“People who do this aren’t doing it on behalf of immigrants. Vandalism and robbery like this is insane, but we need to know that these people will be arrested and charged to the fullest extent of the law.
A man is in custody outside an Apple Store that was destroyed in downtown Los Angeles on June 9, 2025 (OCHN)
The mayor’s office also issued an X message Tuesday morning regarding crimes committed in downtown.
“Let me be clear. The people who destroyed downtown and the loot and the stores that were plundered don’t care about our immigrant community. You’re accountable,” the post reads.
Bass asks ice tactics
Meanwhile, the mayor has also questioned the targeting practices currently used by ICE agents.
“At the beginning of this administration, it was said that the attack was about looking for violent criminals, people with warrants,” Bass said in a previous interview. “I don’t know how they’re going to Home Depot from drug dealers. They’re just trying to make a living in people’s workplaces.”
Tom Homan of Fox News
Tom Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs, spoke about the situation at Fox News, claiming that Los Angeles, as a sanctuary city, is forcing ice agents to the community.
“You don’t want us to arrest these bad guys… We could arrest them for the safety and security of the county jail, but they won’t let us in jail,” Homan said. “They release them to the community. So we need to send a lot of teams in our community to find this dangerous person we don’t want to find. So the sanctuary cities are trying to get what they don’t want, more executives in the community, more executives in the work site.”
Bass said he was not aware of the planned major protest as of Tuesday morning.
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