BURSTHomeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem declared Los Angeles a “city of criminals” while slamming Mayor Karen Bass (D) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom's (D) handling of ongoing protests against the Trump administration's immigration raids.
“Today, we had over 400 to 500 targets we were going after that were known members of gangs in L.A. that have been victimizing people for years, that Gavin Newsom has done absolutely nothing about, that Mayor Bass has done absolutely nothing about,” Noem said during a Monday night appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity.”
“And now she’s [Bass] holding press conferences, talking about the fact that people have the right to peacefully protest and that they’re a city of immigrants,” Noem said.
“Well, they’re not a city of immigrants, they’re a city of criminals because she has protected them for so many years,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) chief added.
Noem’s remarks come as President Trump has deployed another 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, increasing the total count to 4,000, according to Newsom.
Trump has argued the deployment of National Guard troops is necessary to address violence as protesters clash with law enforcement while protesting ramped-up Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations that have taken place in recent days.
The Pentagon has also deployed about 700 Marines to Los Angeles to protect federal buildings and officials.
Trump's moves have been criticized by Newsom and California Attorney General Rob Bonta (D), who sued the administration on Monday over the decision to send in the National Guard, deeming it an “unprecedented power grab.”
“And so, we’re coming in and doing what the president has said that he’s going to do and he’s going to allow people to live in a safe community again and we’re going to use the authority that he has as president of the United States to conduct these operations,” Noem said Monday night.
The DHS secretary said that "the more that people" use violence against law enforcement, "Boy, we’re gonna hit them back and we’re gonna hit them back harder than we ever have before.”