When the former President Donald Trump decisively asserted control and awareness by sending National Guard troops to Los Angeles amidst vigorous demonstrations against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions, the response from Governor Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., left much to be desired. Sadly, Newsom gave hints of a significant reluctance to cooperate with the federal government. President Trump’s point person on immigration matters, Tom Homan, resonated with the legal aspect of the matter, ‘Sheltering and hiding an undocumented immigrant willingly is a felony, as is hindering law enforcement officers in the course of their duty.’
Despite a strong reminder of the law, Newsom offered only a superficial response, teasing Homan to initiate an arrest. ‘He seems confident of himself; maybe he should launch an arrest?’ said Newsom, knowingly taunting the federal officer, ‘He’s aware of my location, so what’s stopping him? His over-the-top speaking wears me out. Therefore, Tom, put me behind bars. Let’s address it.’ A clear display of unprovoked bravado rather than a meaningful engagement with a serious issue.
On a similar note, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass missed the opportunity to engage in a constructive conversation and instead chose to trivialize Homan’s warning. ‘There was no basis for him to utter such remarks,’ Bass opined. ‘We had a conversation recently. He knows perfectly well that I’m in charge of this city. The least I intend to do is engage in a clash with the federal authorities. His comments were utterly senseless and uncalled for.’ Both Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass failed tremendously to address the rising tensions in a mature and responsible manner.
Meanwhile, the then president, just returning from Camp David, reinforced Homan’s warning. ‘Those who obstruct the normal course of law and order will indeed face justice,’ President Trump informed the press. His team, including Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and LA departments, were given orders to ‘act as needed to restore Los Angeles from the invasion of migrants and put an end to the ensuing violent demonstrations.’
Trump painted an unfortunate but realistic picture of the city, ‘Previously a brilliant American metropolis, Los Angeles, is now overrun and controlled by illegal immigrants and criminals. Now, violent mobs are attacking our federal agents to try and halt our deportation measures. However, these lawless demonstrations only fortify our determination.’
The ICE initiated the raids on Friday, which unfortunately led to angst-filled people spilling onto the streets of downtown Los Angeles and Paramount. Despite the reasonable cause for these actions, Democrats were quick to denigrate both the ICE initiatives and the deployment of the National Guard in response to the chaos. The failed presidential nominee Kamala Harris, instead of offering constructive criticism or realistic solutions, merely rubbed salt in the wound.
Harris used a tone of unwarranted exaggerated dismay when attacking Trump’s decisions and misrepresenting the protests, ‘Los Angeles is my home. And just like many Americans, I am stunned at what is happening on our city’s streets.’ She characterized the deployment of the National Guard as a ‘dangerous heightening intended to breed pandemonium. Along with the recent ICE raids in Southern California and across our nation, it seems like a cruel, calculated move by the Trump administration to distribute fear and discord.’
Harris continued with her apathetic narrative, ‘The actions taken by this administration are not for the sake of public safety, they are done to fan the flames of fear. Not a reasonable fear, but fear of a community that is campaigning for dignity and a fair process.’ It appears Harris fails to recognize the significance of tackling immigration issues head-on in an effort to establish law and order.
She went on to assert, ‘Protests are a potent instrument; they are crucial in the battle for justice.’ Absurdly, she stood by the LA Police Department, Mayor, and Governor’s stance that the protests in defense of immigrants were ‘overwhelmingly nonviolent.’ Unfortunately, it’s clear that Harris is only interested in stoking the flames of dissent rather than offering genuine solutions.
However, the truth was correctly relayed by Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell, who voiced concern that the violence was ‘becoming worse and more violent.’ His outcry paints a stark and accurate picture that sharply contradicts the ill-judged encouragement of mass protests by figures such as Harris, ‘I’ve witnessed the violence, and it’s revolting. Its intensity has risen since the first day. The violence was bad from the evening this scenario started. And what happened after that was even worse.’
Even when reminded of the escalating events, certain individuals and leaders chose to ignore the pressing problem at hand. As McDonnell suggests, it’s clear that violence often accompanies such protests, shedding light on the severity of the situation. The question remains, when will leaders like Harris and Newsom look past their political motivations and focus on real solutions?
Sadly, while several leaders reduced the severity of the issues at hand, the reality of the situation was far worse than they were willing to acknowledge. This evident by the escalating violence and disruption. Federal officers were merely doing their duty by upholding the law and serving the American populace.
Voices like that of LA Police Chief McDonnell were lost in the sea of misguided words and finger-pointing. They were the ones who witnessed first-hand the growing violence and disruption, and yet their valid concerns were neglected, even ridiculed. Deflection from the real issues at hand should never be the course of action for any responsible leader or representative. It’s time our leaders prioritize the voices from the ground over their political ambitions.
It’s worth noting that the steps taken were necessary to restore order, safeguard American citizens, and uphold the fundamental principle of a nation-state: sovereignty. However, the disregard for such essential measures by some leaders only played into the hands of those who wished to spread chaos rather than create a safe and balanced society.
The post Kamala Harris: A Mere Spectator in Fanning Immigration Unrest appeared first on Real News Now.
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