Trump will 'strengthen' migrant deportations after protests against raids

US President Donald Trump described Los Angeles as a city "invaded and occupied by illegal immigrants and criminals" and asserted that the protests sparked in response to mass migrant raids "strengthen" his determination to deport.

"These lawless riots only strengthen our resolve. I am directing Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem; Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth; and Attorney General Pam Bondi (...) to take all necessary steps to rid Los Angeles of the immigrant invasion and put an end to these immigrant riots," the president wrote on Truth Social.

Trump's comments come on the third consecutive day of protests in Los Angeles, after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out at least seven immigration raids on Friday.

In response to the protests, Trump ordered the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops, and this Sunday some of these troops were deployed outside the federal building in downtown Los Angeles.

The president's order was carried out under a controversial federal provision that California Governor Gavin Newsom overrode, an unprecedented move in the past 60 years.

Both Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have called on the California community to exercise their right to peaceful protest.

"Don't give Trump what he wants," Newsom wrote on social media.

The protests held this Sunday led to clashes between demonstrators and LAPD officers, who called the demonstration an "unlawful assembly" in an attempt to disperse the crowds, although no arrests have been reported.

FAILS RAIDS

Following the arrest of 35 Mexican migrants protesting the raids in Los Angeles, California, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum affirmed that the migration phenomenon should not be addressed through violence or arrests.

Sheinbaum called for respect for the human rights of detained Mexicans, who, she indicated, receive the full support of the Mexican consular network, and called on the United States government to work on comprehensive immigration reform.

"We do not agree with this way of addressing the migration phenomenon. The migration phenomenon will not be addressed through raids or violence; it is by sitting down and working on comprehensive immigration reform that takes into account all Mexicans on the other side of the border. That is our position (...) and on our part, we will take all the diplomatic actions necessary to defend Mexicans abroad. Long live our migrant brothers and sisters!"

For his part, the United States ambassador to Mexico, Ronald Johnson, condemned the violent protests in Los Angeles.

On social media, he stated that "violent protesters do not represent the Mexican people." He asserted that the Mexican people "whom we know and respect" are dignified and hardworking, and emphasized that the actions seek to protect all communities and strengthen the rule of law. "Mexico is our partner, and our nations are deeply united," he said.