Democrats Shameful Endorsement of Anti-ICE Violence

The streets of Los Angeles and New York City have descended into anarchy, with immigration protests morphing into violent assaults on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials, widespread destruction of public property, and blatant disregard for the rule of law. Explosives detonated against federal buildings, rocks and concrete hurled at law enforcement, and taxpayer-funded infrastructure defaced-these are not acts of protest but of insurrection. Yet, the elected leaders of these Democratic bastions, notably Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and NYC Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, have met this chaos with a cowardly silence, refusing to condemn the violence or hold perpetrators accountable. Their inaction is not a mere lapse in judgment; it is a deliberate endorsement of lawlessness that emboldens criminals, endangers public servants, and betrays the very communities they claim to serve.

The protests, sparked by opposition to intensified ICE raids under the Trump administration, have revealed a disturbing tolerance for violence among Blue City leaders. In Los Angeles, ICE operations targeting foreign criminals-gang members, drug traffickers, and those with records of assault, domestic violence, and child cruelty-resulted in over 100 arrests in a single week. Protesters, mobilized by groups like the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California, responded with unprecedented aggression. At a Home Depot in Paramount and a Fashion District warehouse, rioters blocked streets, assaulted federal agents, and detonated explosives against cars and buildings. On Friday, over 1,000 rioters surrounded a federal law enforcement building, slashing tires, defacing structures, and attacking ICE officers, with the Los Angeles Police Department taking two hours to respond. The following day, tear gas was deployed in Paramount after further assaults on federal agents, leading to arrests for attacking law enforcement.

New York City has fared no better. At Federal Plaza, protesters led by Make the Road New York and the New York Immigration Coalition attempted to block ICE vehicles detaining immigrants, including students, during court hearings. These actions, which resulted in at least 20 arrests for disorderly conduct and traffic obstruction, disrupted public access to government facilities and damaged municipal property. The New York Post reported nearly 100 protesters clashing with federal officers, creating a volatile environment that endangered both law enforcement and civilians. These are not peaceful demonstrations but calculated efforts to impede federal law enforcement, with public infrastructure caught in the crossfire.

The scale of destruction is staggering. Public property streets, courthouses, and federal buildings have been defaced, damaged and even destroyed, burdening taxpayers with repair costs that siphon resources from schools, healthcare, and housing. These losses disproportionately harm the immigrant communities these protests purport to defend.

President Donald Trump's deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, a response to the escalating violence, was decried by California Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Bass as inflammatory. Yet, their refusal to address the disorder-explosives, assaults, and vandalism-left the federal government no choice but to intervene.

Newsom's claim that the National Guard's role is "the wrong mission" and Bass's silence on the violence are not leadership but abdication, echoing Newsom's failure five years ago to curb Black Lives Matter riots that looted businesses and injured police.

The hypocrisy of Blue City leaders is glaring. Bass and Adams have vocally condemned ICE raids as cruel, aligning with protesters' demands for immigrant rights. Bass has expressed solidarity with Los Angeles' immigrant families, while Adams has decried the detention of students. Yet neither has uttered a word about the explosives lobbed at federal buildings, the concrete thrown at ICE officers, or the defacement of public property. This selective outrage sends a chilling message: violence is tolerable if it aligns with a politically sympathetic cause. By refusing to denounce these acts, they embolden further chaos, as evidenced by injuries to SEIU California President David Huerta and arrests in both cities.

Worse, some Democratic leaders have actively fueled this violence. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who urged Democrats to "fight" Trump's policies "in the streets," criticized ICE agents for wearing masks after anti-ICE activists doxed and threatened officers and their families. Posters with ICE agents' names, photos, and phone numbers surfaced in Southern California, a chilling escalation of intimidation.

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell's doxxing of federal officers under the guise of "transparency" further illustrates this reckless trend. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin rightly called out this "vilification and demonization of ICE" by leftist politicians, noting that figures like Jeffries, Bass, and others are "contributing to the surge in assaults" through their inflammatory rhetoric.

This is not leadership but complicity. Blue City officials could support immigrant rights while condemning violence and vandalism. Instead, their silence normalizes anarchy, endangering ICE officers who, regardless of one's view on immigration policy, are enforcing federal law. The double standard is stark: these same leaders would swiftly condemn violence in other contexts, yet when the perpetrators align with their ideology, they look the other way. This erodes public trust, fuels division, and sets a dangerous precedent for future unrest.

Mayor Bass, Speaker Adams, and their peers must break their silence and condemn the violence unequivocally. They must denounce the attacks on ICE officers, the use of explosives, and the destruction of public property. Failure to do so is a betrayal of their oath to serve all residents, not just those who share their politics. Their sin of omission is a green light for anarchy, undermining the rule of law and endangering the very communities they claim to protect. Leadership requires courage, not cowardice. It is time for Blue City officials to stand for order, accountability, and the principles that unite us, or step aside for those who will.

Mr. President-keep your team going. America is with you and behind Kristi Noem and Pete Hegseth. The silent majority is done being silent. We are ready to fight for our families, our communities, and our country-and we are proud to follow your lead.