Vice President JD Vance is set to arrive in Los Angeles on Friday as part of a surprise visit to the region amid a series of immigration raids that have sparked days of protests and defiance from local officials who oppose the federal raids.
It was not immediately clear when the vice president was set to arrive, but his office said in a statement Vance would tour a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Center, a Federal Mobile Command Center, and meet with Marines who have been sent to the area.
He is also expected to make brief remarks during his visit.
The visit comes as California and federal officials continue to battle in court over control of the California National Guard, after President Trump took control of the troops and sent them to respond to protests across the city against the continuing immigration raids over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom.
The clash has left Newsom and officials in the Trump administration trading barbs in interviews and social media, and means that despite Vance’s sudden visit to the country’s most populous state, he is likely not to meet with its highest elected official.
“We’re always open to working together — which makes it all the more disappointing that the White House chose not to engage with us directly ahead of the visit,” a statement from the governor’s office read. “We’ve yet to receive any official notice of the Vice President’s trip — which, from what we understand, is focused on a high-dollar fundraiser.”
On Thursday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals kept control of the troops in Trump’s hands while the issue is litigated in federal court.
Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta has vowed to continue fighting the Trump administration over the decision.
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