The United States Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy, took to the X social media platform on June 16 to express that cities failing to protect transportation infrastructure during ongoing disturbances related to illegal immigration should not expect any federal funding from the Department of Transportation (DOT).
“@USDOT will not fund illegal state governments that refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement,” he wrote. “And for cities that stand by idly, allowing thugs to destroy transportation infrastructure – don’t expect a penny from the Department of Transportation. Either follow the law or forfeit the subsidies.”
The chaos in Los Angeles began on June 6 when the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) arrested dozens of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles, a so-called Sanctuary City. This action was part of a federal investigation into networks involved in customs fraud, tax evasion, and money laundering.
Sanctuary Cities are those that have legislation or policies limiting local government cooperation with federal immigration enforcement actions.
This arrest operation is part of the Trump administration’s nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, specifically targeting those involved in criminal networks. Protests quickly escalated, with law enforcement using stun grenades and tear gas to counter the violence. On June 14, large-scale protests against the Trump administration’s immigration policies erupted in Los Angeles and Southern California.
Secretary of Transportation Duffy’s statement came after multiple incidents of protesters vandalizing public property and looting stores.
A video circulating on X platform shows individuals destroying decorative features on sidewalks and hurling the debris as weapons at law enforcement officers.
Another video shows someone setting a fire on the sidewalk, believed to be the act of rioters after being evacuated by the police from around the federal building.
Yet another video shows multiple people gathering on a bridge, throwing flammable materials at police cars in an attempt to set them on fire, causing damage to the road surface.
During this time, multiple stores in Los Angeles were also looted. One video shows individuals breaking into an Apple store, smashing glass walls, and stealing merchandise.
Duffy’s tweet was a response to a post made by President Trump on the Truth Social platform on June 16. In that post, President Trump ordered ICE personnel to “go all out and carry out the largest collective deportation plan in history.”
“To achieve this goal, we must intensify efforts to arrest and deport illegal immigrants, especially in large cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where millions of illegal immigrants reside,” Trump wrote. The President expressed his hope that ICE, border patrol, and patriotic law enforcement officers would focus on areas in Sanctuary Cities rife with crime and deadly violence.
To date, the federal government has deployed thousands of troops to Los Angeles, including 700 Marine Corps personnel and about 4,000 National Guard members, to maintain order.
The California government has filed a lawsuit in response. Governor Gavin Newsom of California posted on the X platform on June 16, accusing the President of “trying to sow chaos by deploying 4,000 soldiers on U.S. soil.”
White House Deputy Policy Chief Stephen Miller responded to Newsom on X the same day, describing the California under his leadership as a “Sanctuary State harboring foreign terrorists, deliberately allowing criminals to invade the United States.” Miller wrote, “The California government refuses to recognize the supremacy of the federal government and the Constitution and intentionally and malevolently seeks to abolish it.”
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass posted on X on June 17, accusing the Trump administration of “waging an economic war against us.” She said, “The entire economy of Los Angeles relies on immigrant labor.”
In response, Miller posted on June 17, countering, “Mayor of Los Angeles claims that the city’s economy depends on large-scale criminal activities and believes that the federal government should ensure these crimes continue indefinitely.”
Trump emphasized that the military deployment is a necessary security measure. He stated on June 10, “If we do not intervene, Los Angeles would have been engulfed in flames by now. We are not here to play.”
On June 11, United States Navy Rear Admiral Scott Sherman told reporters that the Marine Corps and National Guard stationed in Los Angeles would not conduct arrest missions, only detaining individuals. He explained, “Their duty is solely to protect federal personnel and federal buildings. They can temporarily detain rioters until law enforcement arrives for arrests.”
House Republicans have launched an investigation into American businessman Neville Roy Singham, residing in China, accusing him of funding protest groups in the United States.
According to a post on X by Florida Republican Federal Representative Anna Paulina Luna on June 10, the House Oversight Committee plans to subpoena Singham to testify about “his funding of a communist group related to the Los Angeles riots and the Chinese Communist Party.”