Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth testified before Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday in support of President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy troops in response to the violent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles.
Trump deployed Marines and the National Guard to California as the anti-ICE riots raged on for nearly a week. Rioters were caught hurling rocks and concrete at law enforcement, committing arson, and waving foreign flags to protest recent ICE raids in Los Angeles.
Despite this, Democrats have expressed outrage over the deployment of troops in response to what they deem to be “people peacefully protesting.” Hegseth, however, did not shy away from critics.
“The mission in Los Angeles … is not about lethality,” Hegseth said during a hearing Wednesday. “It’s about maintaining law and order on behalf of law enforcement agents who deserve to do their job without being attacked by mobs of people.”
‘Every American citizen deserves to be in a community that’s safe.’
The mission in Los Angeles is about LAW AND ORDER. pic.twitter.com/grIOOgwwJn— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) June 11, 2025
“We’re very proud that the National Guard and the Marines are on the streets defending ICE agents, and they will continue to do that,” Hegseth added. “They’re doing a great job.”
While Democrats attempted to paint the ICE raids as a brutal or overextended use of power, Hegseth reiterated that law enforcement agents are just doing what they have been asked to do: enforce the law.
“Every American citizen deserves to be in a community that’s safe, and ICE agents need to be able to do their job,” Hegseth said during a hearing Tuesday. “They’re being attacked for doing their job, which is deporting illegal criminals. That shouldn’t happen in any city, Minneapolis or Los Angeles. And if they’re attacked, that’s lawless, and President Trump believes in law and order.”
. @SecDef “Every American citizen deserves to live in a community that is safe, and ICE agents need to be able to do their job.” pic.twitter.com/MRLrvcFlLv— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) June 10, 2025
While Democrats continued to spew outrage over the ICE raids, Hegseth reminded them that ICE is a federal law enforcement agency simply enforcing federal laws.
“In Los Angeles, we believe that ICE, which is a federal law enforcement agency, has the right to safely conduct operations in any state and any jurisdiction in the country,” Hegseth said Tuesday. “Especially after 21 million illegals have crossed our border under the previous administration.”
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