Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a prominent member of the ‘Squad,’ has downplayed the recent Los Angeles riots, attributing the chaos to unruly teenagers rather than violent anarchists. In a post on Bluesky, she called for Democrats not to be held responsible for the actions of a few youths and instead blamed former President Donald Trump’s immigration raids for the unrest. Ocasio-Cortez criticized the Democratic Party for falling into a Republican trap by trying to explain why parts of the sanctuary city went up in flames. She emphasized that the Trump administration’s policies were the root cause of the violence, arguing that the Democratic Party should focus on holding them accountable.
The riots, which began on Friday, have led to significant property damage, with rocks and Molotov cocktails being thrown at law enforcement. The violence has resulted in the deployment of the National Guard and the U.S. Marines, as the situation escalated. Ocasio-Cortez pointed to the Trump administration’s decision to send Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents into areas like elementary schools and shopping districts to apprehend illegal migrants, which she claims triggered the violent response. She also criticized ICE for blocking Members of Congress from entering the facilities where they are detaining people, which she argued escalated the situation.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE had arrested a previously deported illegal immigrant from Mexico after he allegedly threw a Molotov cocktail at law enforcement amid the riots. He has been charged with attempted murder. Rioters have also set off fireworks at police officers and vehicles, vandalized property with graffiti, looted businesses, and smashed windows of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) headquarters. California Governor Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass have also tried to pin the blame on Trump, aligning with Ocasio-Cortez’s stance.
Trump and his allies maintain that he acted boldly to prevent further escalation, claiming that without his intervention, the situation would have been far worse. In a post on Truth Social, Trump stated that the great people of Los Angeles are very lucky that he made the decision to deploy troops and help contain the chaos.