LOS ANGELES — The Trump administration’s “border czar” warned that immigration enforcement will continue “every day” in Los Angeles, hinting that even elected officials could face arrest if they interfere with agents on the ground.
Tom Homan appeared undeterred by the volatile protests against federal agents in Los Angeles who were carrying out immigration raids. Enforcement will be daily, he said late Saturday in an interview.
“I’m telling you what, we’re going to keep enforcing law every day in L.A.,” Homan said. “Every day in L.A., we’re going to enforce immigration law. I don’t care if they like it or not.”
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Parts of Los Angeles County erupted in wide-scale protests on Saturday after residents learned that Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids were happening in the area. Demonstrations descended into chaos, with videos showing protesters surrounding federal law enforcement on the ground and in vehicles. At least one person was hit by a car they were trying to stop from moving.
While many protests around the city remained peaceful, some escalated into clashes where authorities deployed tear gas and officers fired what appeared to be less-lethal ammunition at demonstrators.
The Los Angeles Police Department arrested 11 people Saturday night for failure to disperse, according to a law enforcement source familiar with the situation.
President Donald Trump made good on his threat to deploy the National Guard against protesters, as Guard members arrived in Los Angeles on Sunday morning. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom warned it would escalate tensions.
Homan has previously threatened arrest for anyone who obstructs immigration enforcement. When asked whether that would include Newsom or Bass, Homan did not rule it out.
“I’ll say it about anybody,” Homan said. “You cross that line, it’s a felony to knowingly harbor and conceal an illegal alien. It’s a felony to impede law enforcement doing their job.”
He did not accuse any politician of impeding enforcement, and when asked about Bass specifically, he said that he doesn’t believe “she’s crossed the line yet.” A spokesperson for Bass did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Ongoing enforcement concerns
Protests are expected to continue in Los Angeles on Sunday, as many residents take issue with the way ICE has been operating on the ground.
Homan told NBC News that ICE was “prioritizing” threats to public safety. He cited a raid on a business in downtown Los Angeles’ Fashion District, saying agents were executing warrants as part of a criminal investigation.
But Homan also implied that the government does not differentiate between violent criminals and those who commit civil immigration violations when enforcing deportation laws.
“I’ve said a thousand times that aperture will open,” Homan said. “And I said, if you’re in the country illegally, you’re not off the table.”
Immigration raids have targeted workplaces and Home Depots, where many day laborers often gather to find manual labor jobs. Homan said ICE agents at Home Depots were looking for “final orders,” which is a final order of removal.
People have also been taken into ICE custody while they were attending immigration interviews, causing fear among those going through the legal immigration process.
Homan denied some of the allegations that ICE has been operating at schools, hospitals and churches, calling it misinformation. He criticized the overt hostility toward ICE agents, saying they’re unfairly compared to terrorists and Nazis.
Homan had harsh words for Newsom, calling the governor an “embarrassment for the state” and denouncing California’s “Sanctuary State” law. Sanctuary laws prevent local authorities from being compelled to participate in federal immigration enforcement.
“If he cared about public safety in the state of California, he would not have a sanctuary for criminals, where criminals get released to the street in this state every day because of his policy,” Homan said of Newsom.
In reality, California state prisons regularly cooperate with ICE, as the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is required by law to identify people subject to deportation within 90 days. However, if ICE fails pick up people before release, the department does not hold anyone past their release dates.
A spokesperson for Newsom did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“The rhetoric keeps rising and rising and rising — someone’s gonna get hurt,” Homan said. “If this violence isn’t tamped down, someone’s gonna die, and that’s just that’s just a cold fact of life.”
