By Tim Reid
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) -Republican Vice President JD Vance on Friday met troops who have been deployed in Los Angeles to quell protests against immigration raids, as he accused Democratic state and city leaders of encouraging immigrants to cross the U.S. border illegally.
Vance, who met some of the 700 U.S. Marines and 4,000 National Guard troops recently deployed to Los Angeles by President Donald Trump, also accused the Democratic leaders of failing to support local law enforcement.
Trump deployed the California National Guard troops to Los Angeles earlier this month, against the wishes of Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom, to quell protests triggered by immigration raids on workplaces by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.
A U.S. appeals court on Thursday let Trump retain control of California’s National Guard.
Trump’s decision to send troops into Los Angeles prompted a national debate about the use of the military on U.S. soil and inflamed political tension in the country’s second most-populous city.
Vance said the court’s decision made clear that Trump’s troop deployment “was a completely legitimate and proper use of federal law enforcement.”
Vance gave no indication of when the Marines and National Guard would leave Los Angeles, and hinted that they might stay in the city for some time.
“The soldiers and Marines are still very much a necessary part of what’s going on here, because they’re worried that it’s going to flare back up,” Vance said.
He accused Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of failing to crack down on people in the city illegally, and of failing to support local and state law enforcement.
“They have treated Border Patrol and border enforcement as somehow an illegitimate force, instead of what they are, which is the American people’s law enforcement trying to enforce the American people’s laws,” he said.
Newsom is tipped to mount a presidential bid in 2028, and could conceivably face off against Vance.
Diana Crofts-Pelayo, a spokesperson for Newsom, called Vance’s claim “categorically false.”
“The Governor has consistently condemned violence and has made his stance clear,” she said.
She cited posts Newsom made on X, including one on June 9 when he said, “Foolish agitators who take advantage of Trump’s chaos will be held accountable.”
Newsom has said Trump’s deployment of troops exacerbated the protests, increased tensions and is unconstitutional.
Bass, the Los Angeles mayor, speaking at a press conference, said Vance had spewed “lies and nonsense” and called the deployment of troops a “provocation” that has spread “terror and fear throughout our city.”
(Reporting by Tim Reid in Los Angeles;Editing by Mary Milliken and Leslie Adler)
