Trump Officials Slam LA Mayor Karen Bass Over ICE Raid Protests: “You Have No Say in This”
LOS ANGELES — A fiery war of words has erupted between the Trump administration and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass following a series of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that led to violent protests across the city on Friday.
At least 44 undocumented immigrants were arrested during coordinated federal operations in Los Angeles, prompting a swift and emotional response from Mayor Bass.
“We will not stand for this,” Bass declared in a statement, calling the raids “deeply angering” and vowing that her office was “in close coordination with immigrant rights community organizations.”
But senior Trump officials weren’t having it.
Bass slammed the Los Angeles immigration enforcement raids in a social media post.
Trump Aides Fire Back: “Federal Law Will Be Enforced”
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller wasted no time rebuking Bass on X (formerly Twitter):
“You have no say in this at all. Federal law is supreme and federal law will be enforced.”
Other administration officials were even more scathing. Presidential adviser Sebastian Gorka blasted Bass’s terminology:
“They’re illegals. Not ‘immigrants.’ One just tried to burn Americans alive in Boulder.”
Gorka was referring to Mohamed Soliman, an Egyptian national who overstayed his tourist visa and is now accused of firebombing a peaceful pro-Israel march in Colorado earlier this week in what officials are calling a terror attack.
A police officer uses stun grenades as they approach the protesters gathered around the Los Angeles Federal Building following multiple detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in Los Angeles, on June 6, 2025.
“If you’re aiding and abetting them, you’re a criminal too,” Gorka warned. “Are you ready to be treated as one? Because we are ready to treat you as one.”
Justice Department official Harmeet Dhillon criticized Bass’s understanding of the Constitution:
“It’s amazing the number of elected officials who don’t grasp the basics of federalism, or federal sovereignty over immigration issues.”
Violence Flares in the Streets of LA
The political fight erupted as protests swept through Los Angeles, with clashes breaking out near the LA Federal Building and other ICE arrest sites. Police were forced to deploy flash bangs and stun grenades to break up crowds of up to 800 demonstrators, some of whom reportedly slashed tires, defaced buildings, and attempted to block federal vehicles.
Video from the scene shows protestors grappling with DHS officers while chanting “Abolish ICE.”
Miller noted that Bass has “no say” in federal immigration enforcement.
At least one protester, David Huerta, the president of California’s Service Employees International Union (SEIU), was arrested for allegedly obstructing federal agents by blocking a vehicle.
“Let me be clear: I don’t care who you are — if you impede federal agents, you will be arrested and prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
Huerta is scheduled to appear in federal court Monday.
DHS Slams LAPD Silence
Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin condemned the LAPD’s lack of response as the situation escalated.
“Assaulting ICE enforcement officers, slashing tires, defacing buildings. 800 protestors have surrounded and breached the first layer of a federal law enforcement building in LA,” McLaughlin posted on X. “@LAPD has not responded.”
She concluded bluntly:
“This violence against @ICEgov must stop.”
A demonstrator holds a “no crossing” sign during the violent protests.
Grenell: “Bass Is Creating Chaos”
Former acting DNI and Trump envoy Richard Grenell went a step further, directly blaming Bass for inciting the protests.
“Karen Bass whipped all of this up. She attacked the rule of law. She undermined democracy,” he said, alongside images of masked protesters attempting to barricade ICE vehicles.
“The @MayorOfLA is creating chaos in LA,” he added.
A protester attempts to evade a Department of Homeland Security officer after federal immigration authorities conducted an operation on June 6, 2025.
Legal and Political Battle Lines Drawn
Bass has not walked back her statement and has continued to coordinate with local immigrant rights groups. But legal scholars say the situation underscores a clear constitutional divide: while cities can control policing policies, they cannot obstruct federal immigration law.
With immigration poised to be a defining issue in the 2026 midterms, Friday’s flashpoint in Los Angeles has become a national rallying cry — for both the left and the right.
