The confrontations and riots against ICE in California are ongoing. Law enforcement is facing immense backlash.
And now Trump’s ICE Director has made a sobering confession live on Fox News.
Riots in Los Angeles Expose Radical Left’s Dangerous Defense of Criminal Migrants
Los Angeles has descended into chaos, with streets ablaze and federal officers under siege, all sparked by routine Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons, appearing on Fox News’ Hannity last Thursday, described a city gripped by “pure anarchy” as rioters shield criminal migrants from justice. The radical Left’s relentless campaign to obstruct law enforcement has fueled this unrest, turning a federal operation into a violent spectacle that threatens the safety of officers and citizens alike.
Protests erupted Friday after ICE conducted arrests across Los Angeles, targeting individuals with serious criminal records. Rioters responded with fury, torching cars, looting stores, and vandalizing buildings. Host Sean Hannity highlighted the rap sheets of those arrested, noting convictions for homicide, burglary, and other “extensive” crimes. Yet, the radical Left frames these rioters as defenders of the oppressed, casting law enforcement as the villain for daring to uphold federal law.
“That list right there, like you said, you can keep going. That’s what frustrates all of us is the fact that what started this whole thing was ICE conducting a federal law enforcement operation that involved us serving a criminal search warrant and arrest warrant on immigration violations,” Lyons said. The operation, a standard execution of ICE’s mandate, provoked an outsized reaction from activists who seem to believe no criminal act warrants deportation, no matter how heinous.
The scale of the violence is staggering. Lyons recounted federal officers being surrounded by thousands of rioters inside a federal building, forcing the deployment of SWAT and special operations teams for rescue. “We actually have senior leaders having to don riot gear and tactical kit, launching tear gas themselves to protect themselves because they’re being overrun in their positions,” he said.
As riots raged through the weekend, President Donald Trump responded decisively, deploying 2,000 National Guard members and 700 Marines to safeguard the federal building and restore order. Democratic leaders, however, have downplayed the destruction, refusing to acknowledge the severity of the crisis. Their reluctance to condemn the violence emboldens rioters, who see their actions as righteous rebellion against a system the Left has long demonized.
The Department of Homeland Security, in a bid for transparency, released details of the arrested migrants’ criminal histories, revealing charges like second-degree m*rder, willful cruelty to a child, and domestic violence. These are not the “victims” the radical Left claims to champion but dangerous individuals whose presence threatens communities. Yet, activists persist in their narrative, portraying ICE as a rogue agency rather than one tasked with protecting public safety.
“I’m actually out here in L.A. I’ve been on the ground since Saturday with the folks seeing this stuff firsthand. What I can tell you is it’s pure anarchy,” Lyons said. He criticized elected leaders who dismiss the chaos as “peaceful,” sarcastically noting their tolerance for dodging burnt cars or avoiding gunfire. This rhetoric from the Left minimizes the real harm inflicted on the city and the officers risking their lives to contain it.
Lyons praised the resilience of ICE, Department of Justice, and Los Angeles Police Department personnel, who face relentless hostility while performing their duties. “I can tell you from firsthand experience what the brave men and women of ICE, the brave men and women of the Department of Justice, all our federal partners, and the brave men and women of the Los Angeles Police Department have been dealing with day in, all night long. It’s bad out here,” he said. The radical Left’s vilification of these officers as oppressors ignores their role as protectors of law and order.
The legal battle now looms, with U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer set to hear California’s challenge to Trump’s use of the National Guard and Marines. The state’s bid to block federal intervention exposes the radical Left’s agenda to dismantle immigration enforcement, even at the cost of public safety. By siding with rioters over officers, California risks entrenching a dangerous precedent that undermines the rule of law.
This Administration is not playing games with the lives and safety of our ICE officers. People doxxing our officers and impeding ICE operations are siding with vicious cartels, human traffickers, and violent criminals.
The LA rioters will not stop our @ICEgov law enforcement. https://t.co/nPpwXUnYse
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) June 12, 2025
The Conservative Column is keeping our readers in-the-know on hot updates to the ongoing riots in California.
