Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass claimed President Donald Trump’s National Guard deployments are creating chaos rather than restoring order.
Appearing Friday on CNN’s “The Situation Room,” Bass was asked about Republican Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry’s announcement that hundreds of newly activated National Guard troops would be sent to New Orleans ahead of New Year’s Eve.
Host Wolf Blitzer pressed the mayor on whether federal law enforcement has any role in municipal policing when states and Washington claim to be working together.
Bass acknowledged there can be circumstances where outside intervention is justified but questioned whether recent deployments met that threshold.
NEW: LA Mayor Karen Bass is CELEBRATING SCOTUS blocking Trump's National Guard deployment to Chicago to protect ICE agents.
She conveniently ignored how her own city was GROUND ZERO for this back in June when federal troops were needed after protests turned into insurrections.… pic.twitter.com/azQdUZBZbq
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She pointed to unrest in Los Angeles earlier this year, insisting that conditions were calm before federal involvement.
“Well, absolutely, there’s a role. There’s a role when it’s needed,” Bass said. “The question is: do I believe that, in any of these cases, this was needed?”
“Remember, in Los Angeles on January, on June 5, everything was just fine in our city,” she claimed. “Disruption did not begin until there was intervention.”
She argued that similar dynamics played out in other Democratic-led cities targeted for National Guard assistance.
“I would suggest that the same thing was true in other cities,” Bass continued. “You have the National Guard coming into cities, causing the disruption.”
Bass framed the move as politically motivated, contrasting Republican governors who support the deployments with Democratic mayors who have resisted them.
“It’s not surprising to me that a Republican governor would back something like this,” she commented. “I doubt seriously that the Democratic mayor would do this.”
She suggested the pattern of enforcement revealed partisan intent. “And then I think we need to look at what cities he’s going after. They’re all Democratic mayors,” Bass continued. “To me, this is political. It’s nothing more than that.”
The mayor warned that repeated military involvement in urban policing could normalize a practice she views as historically alarming.
“I think the greatest danger is if the American public begins to say, ‘Yeah, okay, we have the military in our cities,’ something that hasn’t happened as we approach the 250-year anniversary of our country’s founding,” she added, calling it a moment for Americans to reconsider the origins of their government.
During the same interview, she blasted Hispanic Americans for joining the U.S. Border Patrol.
Reacting to a CNN report highlighting the growing number of Hispanic agents, Bass said she viewed the trend with concern. “Well, in a way, I think it’s sad,” she said when asked about the new recruits.
She suggested the reality of the job might clash with training once agents are deployed.
“I think that those Border Patrol agents are going to have a difficult time when they’re out in the field and they see what actually happens in real life separate from their training,” Bass told Blitzer.
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The report included interviews with Hispanic recruits addressing criticism that they were detaining people described as their “own kind” or “own blood.” One of those recruits pushed back on that framing.
Federal data shows that more than half of Border Patrol agents identify as Hispanic, a statistic Bass linked primarily to economic pressures.
“I do understand that their primary incentive is financial,” Bass said. “I think it just speaks to the financial situation that millions of Americans find themselves in.”
“And I definitely am concerned about that report,” she added.
New Border Patrol recruits are currently eligible for incentives totaling up to $60,000, according to the agency.
That package includes $10,000 after completing the academy and another $10,000 for those assigned to remote locations, benefits the administration has touted as necessary to staff hard-to-fill posts.
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott defended the incentives last week, tying them to national security priorities.
“CBP is committed to recruiting and retaining top talent for our critical mission,” Scott remarked.
“By offering competitive incentives, we are investing in skilled professionals who will help secure America’s borders and advance national security.”
Former Republican Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois, who recently became a Democrat, chimed in to condemn immigration raids carried out over Christmas.
“I did my best yesterday to turn off the news from Christmas Eve on and not think about anything and not tweet anything,” Walsh said on “The Social Contract” podcast.
“But I scrolled a few times and ICE, those masked federal agents, were out on Christmas Day detaining immigrants. They were out on Christmas Eve detaining immigrants. What the f—?”
The Department of Homeland Security countered that enforcement actions removed dangerous individuals from communities.
DHS highlighted five arrests made by Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Tuesday, followed by reports Wednesday of officers opening fire on two undocumented immigrants in Maryland after officials said a migrant drove a van toward agents while fleeing an operation.
“This Christmas season, Americans can rejoice that these criminal illegal aliens are off their streets,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement.
“Just yesterday, ICE arrested convicted sex abusers, violent assailants, and human traffickers,” she added.
“Our ICE law enforcement delivered the best gift for all Americans this year: safer neighborhoods.”
Alongside enforcement, DHS has encouraged undocumented immigrants to leave voluntarily. Officials said those who self-deport before
Dec. 31 will receive a $3,000 stipend and a free flight home through the CBP Home app.
As deportations expand, the administration has also pursued agreements with foreign governments.
Palau, a small Pacific island nation, agreed to accept up to 75 deportees from the United States in exchange for $7.5 million in foreign aid.
The arrangement allows so-called third-country nationals who have never been charged with a crime to live and work in Palau, a country of roughly 18,000 residents, according to statements released Wednesday by Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr.’s office and the U.S. Embassy in Koror.
“The United States deeply appreciates Palau’s cooperation in enforcing U.S. immigration laws, which remains a top priority for the Trump administration,” the embassy said.
“In this regard, the United States granted $7.5 million to address the needs of relevant Palau public services.”
The agreement was formalized through a memorandum of understanding, with Palau citing labor shortages as a motivating factor.
Beyond the $7.5 million aid package, the Trump administration committed an additional $6 million to shore up Palau’s civil service pension system and $2 million for new law enforcement initiatives, further linking foreign assistance to immigration enforcement objectives.
