The riots may rage on in Los Angeles, but federal authorities aren’t blinking.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, the top federal prosecutor for California’s Central District, made it crystal clear this week: no amount of street violence, looting, or left-wing pressure is going to stop ICE from enforcing immigration law.
In fact, the opposite is happening.
Speaking with Fox News reporter Bill Melugin, Essayli confirmed that the riots are not only failing to slow federal immigration operations—they’re accelerating the federal response. “Absolutely not,” he said when asked if federal agents would pull back. “It’s coming,” Essayli added, signaling that those who have committed crimes during the riots should expect arrests.
And it won’t stop with ICE. The Trump administration has already deployed 4,000 National Guard troops and hundreds of U.S. Marines to the streets of L.A., following images of flaming vehicles, mob attacks on officers, and open defiance of law enforcement. That number is likely to grow.
According to Essayli, his office is now deep into investigations targeting those who have assaulted police, looted stores, and committed arson. Every piece of video evidence is being reviewed. Just because suspects haven’t been arrested yet doesn’t mean they won’t be, he warned. “It’s coming,” he repeated.
The message couldn’t be clearer: this administration is not backing down.
Meanwhile, prominent Democrats like Governor Gavin Newsom, Senator Adam Schiff, and former Vice President Kamala Harris continue to condemn Trump’s response as an “escalation.” But their talking points are falling flat in the face of widespread violence and disorder.
Video footage has shown rioters waving Mexican flags, torching self-driving cars, and throwing projectiles at police—all under the banner of protesting ICE raids targeting criminal aliens. As cities burn, Democratic leaders scramble to paint the mobs as “mostly peaceful,” a move that increasingly alienates everyday Americans.
Homeland Security officials have backed up Essayli’s tough stance, stressing that ICE agents will carry out their duties—no matter how loud the opposition gets. The Department of Justice is standing by its agents and now promises sweeping legal consequences for those attacking federal officers or destroying government property.
The left may think street protests will intimidate this administration into surrender. But with leaders like Essayli calling the shots, it’s clear: federal law enforcement isn’t going anywhere.
And for the rioters? The knock on the door is coming.
