Things are getting ugly in Los Angeles. It was always a certainty that the Trump administration’s strict enforcement and repatriation efforts would draw protests from the left across the country. And as my colleague Becca Lower shared on Sunday, the actions that began last Friday led to hundreds of anti-ICE protesters blocking traffic on the 101 Freeway, until the California Highway Patrol arrived to disperse them:
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In what could quickly become a dangerous, out of control situation, pro-illegal alien protesters marching in downtown Los Angeles on Sunday have completely mobbed the 101 Freeway, shutting down the traffic on both sides.
CHP has now arrived https://t.co/rd6n8azR8V
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 2, 2025
See Related: WATCH: Pro-Illegal Protesters Completely Shut Down Major Freeway in Downtown LA–With No Police in Sight
But in LA, those protests have, on Friday, escalated to riots – with at least one person seriously beaten:
🚨#BREAKING: Watch as a man is violently attacked, pummeled, and beaten by a crowd of anti-deportation protesters outside City Hall
Watch shocking and intense footage as anti-deportation protesters and other activists gather outside City Hall in… pic.twitter.com/pZ93loOYqW
— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) February 7, 2025
Another person was reportedly stabbed, with considerable blood loss observed, as Julio Rosas reported:
Big fight breaks out between anti-ICE protesters, who are mainly students, outside Los Angeles City Hall. Appears one was stabbed, resulting in lots of blood loss. Police are now responding: pic.twitter.com/ag1fozohvT
— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) February 7, 2025
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As of this writing, the protests are in their sixth day and are now escalating into riots. This is a serious breach of public order, and we might note that many of the protesters/rioters are displaying the national flag of Mexico. This is not the act of someone who is here to become an American.
The Trump administration has been making some far-reaching moves to end illegal immigration and repatriate illegal aliens, starting with known gang members and criminals.
See Related: After AG Pam Bondi Cuts Federal Funding to San Diego, Coast Guard and Military Target the Beaches
The local authorities seem overwhelmed. There have been arrests, but the protests, now riots, are continuing. The weekend will likely bring more violence.
President Trump does have the power to act here to restore order. 10 U.S.C. Chapter 13, Section 254, states in part:
§ 254.1 Proclamation to disperse
Whenever the President considers it necessary to use the militia or the armed forces under this chapter, he shall, by proclamation, immediately order the insurgents to disperse and retire peaceably to their abodes within a limited time.
The words ‘‘militia or the armed forces’’ are substituted for the words ‘‘military forces’’ for clarity and to conform to sections 331, 332, and 333 of this title.
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The “Proclamation to disperse” is what is colloquially known as “reading the Riot Act,” following which it is presumed that, should the insurgents not disperse, they may be dispersed by force. The Insurrection Act of 1807, modified in 2006, also gives the president some emergency powers in this kind of uprising – and make no mistake, these people are in rebellion against properly established civil authority. The relevant clause reads:
(1) The President may employ the armed forces, including the National Guard in Federal service, to–
(A) restore public order and enforce the laws of the United States when, as a result of a natural disaster, epidemic, or other serious public health emergency, terrorist attack or incident, or other condition in any State or possession of the United States, the President determines that–
(i) domestic violence has occurred to such an extent that the constituted authorities of the State or possession are incapable of maintaining public order.
This is a serious matter. People have been injured. Public roadways have been rendered unusable, having been blocked by angry crowds of rioters. Private property has been damaged. It is very likely only a matter of time before lives are lost, and what then? Will the local and state authorities stand aside and allow a repeat of the summer of 2020? Will Pres. Trump send in federal troops to restore order, by force if necessary? Will anyone have the fortitude to order the rioters, should it come to that, to “disperse or be fired upon”? Let’s hope it doesn’t come to that, but these “protests” have to be dispersed.
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Meanwhile, the repatriations are continuing. And with Tom “The Hammer” Homan looking for illegal aliens, he’ll likely find a lot of them among these rioters.
