When ICE agents arrived in California on Friday to begin enforcing a new round of deportation warrants, the situation spiraled into chaos almost immediately. The operation, backed by a recent Supreme Court ruling affirming the Trump administration’s authority to deport over 390,000 undocumented immigrants, triggered protests and violent unrest in multiple areas.

While similar ICE operations have taken place in Florida, Georgia, Texas, and New York without sparking this level of public disorder, California reacted differently. By the weekend, what began as demonstrations quickly turned into coordinated interference with federal agents attempting to carry out lawful orders. Protesters blocked ICE vehicles, physically confronted agents, and by Saturday night, the situation had escalated to full-blown riots.

What’s important for the public to understand is that while ICE is detaining undocumented immigrants, the majority of those targeted are not innocent families or workers. Many have serious criminal records, gang affiliations, or are fugitives avoiding justice from other countries while committing new crimes in the United States. The media rarely highlights this, instead painting a picture that ICE is indiscriminately targeting harmless individuals. This is far from the full story.

The unrest intensified after several Democratic leaders, including members of Congress and local officials, took to social media and public platforms to call for resistance. Rather than urge calm or lawful protest, many encouraged residents to take to the streets and obstruct the ICE operations. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass took it a step further by publicly declaring that the LAPD would not cooperate with federal agents. Simultaneously, she promised to protect all residents of Los Angeles, which sent a message to agitators that the city would tolerate open defiance of federal law.

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The result was predictable. On Saturday night, ICE agents found themselves under attack. Their vehicles were vandalized. Protesters threw objects, attempted to block enforcement efforts, and even assaulted officers. The situation deteriorated rapidly, forcing President Trump to authorize the deployment of the National Guard on Sunday to restore order.

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That move was met with even more fury. Congresswoman Maxine Waters was seen confronting National Guard troops in person, shouting at them as they attempted to protect federal property and public safety. Her actions inflamed tensions and were widely circulated online, fueling the narrative that law enforcement should be resisted at all costs.

By Sunday night and into Monday, riots had overtaken peaceful protest. Cars were burned across Los Angeles and surrounding areas. Small businesses, grocery stores, and gas stations were looted. Sneaker shops and local boutiques were ransacked. Waymo, the self-driving vehicle company, suspended operations due to the violence. While cars burned and neighborhoods descended into chaos, Democratic officials continued to insist that the protests were peaceful and under control. ABC News went as far as saying that the national guard should be careful on how they approach the situation because “the people are just having fun watching cars burn” unbelievable.

Among the most appalling moments for many longtime residents was the defacing of a mural dedicated to Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna. For many Black residents in Los Angeles, this act crossed a line. It signaled that the riots had nothing to do with justice and everything to do with lawlessness. Even many legal immigrants began to speak out, disturbed by the sight of violent rioters waving foreign flags while setting fire to American businesses.

Despite all of this, Mayor Karen Bass and Governor Gavin Newsom insisted that the city was safe, the National Guard was unnecessary, and the public had nothing to fear. Their words stood in sharp contrast to the images flooding social media and live broadcasts. Officers dodging rocks and patrol cars on fire, all while California’s top leaders denied the reality unfolding before the public’s eyes.

This moment echoes the now infamous situation surrounding President Biden’s health where the public was told repeatedly that all was well despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. The same type of narrative manipulation is now being used to downplay the violence and place blame on the Trump administration for sending the National Guard to restore order.

By Monday morning, as businesses chose not to open and residents remained on edge, many were left asking an obvious question: who is truly responsible for the chaos? The president, acting under a lawful Supreme Court ruling, enforced deportations. State leaders chose to resist, deny reality, and allow lawlessness to flourish.

This is not protest. This is not peaceful assembly. This is organized rioting allowed to fester in a city where consequences are scarce and political leaders refuse to speak honestly. The public deserves to ask: is this the result of Trump enforcing federal law, or the direct outcome of Democratic leadership inciting and tolerating violence. I’d say the latter.

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