WASHINGTON – When President Trump ordered immigration raids in Los Angeles last June, few of those arrested were violent criminals. The sweep separated families, cost businesses millions of dollars and drove many undocumented residents into hiding.
Activists protested the move by Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting the president to send thousands of troops into what he called a security operation. A federal judge called it illegal and said the police deployment caused “significant damage” to the city.
Now, Trump wants to do it again.
At a Cabinet meeting on Thursday, he urged the mayors and governors of several green cities and states to allow the military to “go in and stop crime,” pointing to targeted successes in Washington, Memphis and New Orleans.
“Crime is down 75% in a short period of time,” Trump told his top advisers. “We can do it for LA and we can do it, frankly, for San Francisco.”
The president framed the deployment as a crime-fighting and immigration enforcement tool, saying authorities could remove people from cities in ways that local officials could not.
“We can do it very effectively, because [local leaders] “We can’t do what we’re doing,” Trump said. “All the time, people come up to me … and say ‘thank you so much.’ I know immediately what they are talking about. They can walk to work.”
Trump also said this week that he would consider sending the National Guard to airports to help with increased security delays during the 40-day partial government shutdown.
The renewed call comes after a series of controversial government interventions in cities across the country. In Washington, Trump has reiterated that there is increased security around government buildings, which he credits with improving public safety, although local officials and analysts have disputed how much of the drop in crime can be attributed to his order.
US Marines stand outside a federal detention center in downtown Los Angeles in June.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
In January, Trump threatened to use the Sedition Act to send troops to Minneapolis during the civil unrest that followed the shooting of Renee Good by an immigration agent. The Pentagon prepared active duty troops for deployment, but they were ordered off following the shooting of a second Minneapolis resident, Alex Pretti, that month.
Immigrants are sweeping through Los Angeles to target workplaces, neighborhoods and churches, sparking widespread panic and forcing many undocumented residents — including long-term residents and native-born children — into hiding. As a result, businesses reported a significant drop in revenue and customer traffic. A regional analysis found that 82% of surveyed businesses were negatively impacted, with some losing more than half of their revenue amid staff shortages and reduced traffic.
During the scandal, Mayor Karen Bass criticized Trump’s deployment of 4,000 California National Guardsmen and 700 US Marines.
“Sending the coalition forces on the heels of these raids is an escalation of chaos,” he said. “The fear that people have in our city right now is very real – it resonates in our communities and our families, and it puts our neighbors at risk. This is the last thing our city needs.”
The president canceled the job after US District Judge Charles Breyer ruled that control of the California National Guard should be returned to the governor, rejecting the federal government’s authority to retain control indefinitely. The same Supreme Court decision effectively ended the nationwide deployment of the organization.
“Judges really hurt this country,” Trump said Thursday. “Frankly, the judges – the Supreme Court – have mistreated our country.”
At the meeting, Trump also moderated his comments about San Francisco and its Mayor, Daniel Lurie.
“San Francisco was a great city, it can be a great city,” Trump said. “But we can do it very effectively.”
Last year, Trump considered similar enforcement actions in the city. He backed down after a conciliatory phone call with Lurie, during which Trump said the mayor asked him “very nicely” to stop the deployment. Afterwards, he agreed to give the newly elected mayor a “chance” to deal with crime in the city.
“In San Francisco, crime is down 30%, camping is at an all-time low, and our city is growing,” Lurie said in a statement Thursday. “Public safety is my number one priority, and we will remain focused on keeping our streets safe and clean.”
A spokeswoman for Lurie’s office said the two have not spoken since that October conversation, indicating that Trump’s latest comments do not indicate any new request or ongoing talks. Still, the president took a swipe at the San Francisco mayor on Thursday. He said Lurie is “trying hard” but stressed that government intervention will get the job done quickly.
Whether any Democratic-led city will take Trump up on this offer remains to be seen. City leaders have opposed the agency’s deployment, saying it undermines local control and risks creating tense situations.
The White House did not respond to questions about whether there are any current plans to redeploy coalition troops to California cities.
Times staff writer Melissa Gomez in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
