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By Dan Gooding and Gabe Whisnant
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The top federal prosecutor for Los Angeles said on Monday that more military and federal resources could be sent to the city if protests against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) continue.
Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney for the Central District of California, told Fox News' Bill Melugin about the plans earlier on Monday, after a weekend of violent clashes across the city.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Melugin said he asked Essayli if the "riots" would keep the federal government from stopping its immigration enforcement. The Fox News reporter said Essayli told him that the "riots" could have the opposite effect and lead to even more military deployment to southern California.
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Nothing will stop federal immigration operations, Essayli reportedly told Melugin.
Newsweek reached out to Essayli's office for further comment Monday afternoon via email.
Why It Matters
The Trump administration has pledged to carry out the largest mass deportation in U.S. history and has conducted numerous Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids, some of which have swept up individuals with proper documentation.
President Donald Trump announced on Saturday evening that he had authorized the mobilization of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles after reported violence against law enforcement, specifically, ICE agents carrying out deportation raids in the city.
While the raids are following legal directive from federal authorities, protests have erupted amid reports that detainees were being held in the basement of a federal building. ICE denied these allegations, with a spokesperson previously telling Newsweek the agency "categorically refutes the assertions made by immigration activists in Los Angeles."
The clashes highlight deepening conflicts between sanctuary jurisdictions and federal immigration policy, as Trump has implemented sweeping changes through executive orders and utilized the wartime Alien Enemies Act of 1798 to expand deportation authority.
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What To Know
Trump has already deployed 2,000 California National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell turmoil on the streets, despite opposition from Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.
In addition, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has threatened to deploy active-duty Marines "if violence continues," while California National Guard troops from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team arrived with long guns and armored vehicles.
The comments from Essayli came amid a potential lawsuit from California officials against the Trump administration for its use of troops in the city. The state's Attorney General Rob Bonta said Monday that he and Newsom would appeal to a judge to declare the move unlawful, and to prevent further use of the National Guard.
Trump said during last year's presidential campaign, and in the months after, that he would look to use any resource available to him, from ICE agents through local law enforcement to the military, to deliver on his promise of mass deportations.
California leaders say that it should be down to state and city-level agencies to tackle any violence erupting from protests, while it is down to federal agents to enforce immigration laws.
Any potential bolstering of troops would come after a quieter day in Los Angeles on Monday, with communities looking to clean up and get back to normality.
Around half of the 2,000 troops authorized by Trump were on the ground as of Monday lunchtime, the Associated Press reported.
What People Are Saying
California Attorney General Rob Bonta in a press release on Monday: "Let me be clear: There is no invasion. There is no rebellion. The President is trying to manufacture chaos and crisis on the ground for his own political ends. Federalizing the California National Guard is an abuse of the President's authority under the law – and not one we take lightly. We're asking a court to put a stop to the unlawful, unprecedented order."
California Governor Gavin Newsom wrote on X on Sunday: "I have formally requested the Trump Administration rescind their unlawful deployment of troops in Los Angeles county and return them to my command. We didn't have a problem until Trump got involved. This is a serious breach of state sovereignty—inflaming tensions while pulling resources from where they're actually needed. Rescind the order. Return control to California."
President Donald Trump in a post on Truth Social on Monday: "We made a great decision in sending the National Guard to deal with the violent, instigated riots in California. If we had not done so, Los Angeles would have been completely obliterated."
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin previously told Newsweek: "Why do Governor Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass care more about violent murderers and sex offenders than they do about protecting their own citizens? These rioters in Los Angeles are fighting to keep rapists, murderers, and other violent criminals loose on Los Angeles streets. Instead of rioting, they should be thanking ICE officers every single day who wake up and make our communities safer."
What Happens Next?
Newsom and Bonta said they would file their lawsuit Monday, hoping for swift action by the judge.
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