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LAPD arrests violent agitators AFTER they destroy federal detention center – Mayor Bass blames ICE

January 31, 2026 | | Print Article

The latest round of violent protests hit Los Angeles while the mayor looked on at the unfolding chaos with a finger pointed at the federal government for “invading” the city.

Fresh off attending Don Lemon’s court hearing in her city, where he’d been arrested after allegedly committing two federal felonies in Minnesota, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) continued to paint law enforcement as the bad guys.

During an appearance on CNN, she blamed the wanton mayhem outside a federal detention facility that included numerous alleged acts of violence against officers on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the city, even as her own police department had to arrest multiple “violent agitators.”

“I can tell you that the situation is under control, but it is ongoing. And there was an interaction that was violent for a minute, but it was brought under control,” contended Bass to CNN’s Abby Phillip as select footage rolled showing protesters waving Mexican and Hamas-sympathizing flags outside the detention facility where officers had been pushed back, including one who’d seemingly been isolated while the mob was “just throwing things at him.”

“Nobody would be protesting now in the street if Minneapolis hadn’t happened. We wouldn’t have had protests in Los Angeles if they hadn’t invaded us,” insisted the mayor.

While Bass attempted to differentiate between the actions of ICE and the local police outside the facility, the LAPD reported that it had arrested numerous “violent agitators” including one launching “hard metal objects” at law enforcement after a march from City Hall to the federal detention center of the “ICE Out Everywhere” protest had found violent protesters trashing the exterior of the building.

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“Officers have arrested a suspect who was allegedly using a sling shot to shoot hard metal objects at officers who were standing on the line,” wrote the LAPD Central Division on X, having earlier indicated, “We had hoped that demonstrations today would be peaceful, however, as you can see in this video, the violent agitators invited LAPD due to their actions.”

The LAPD had shared the same video as journalist Nick Sortor, who captioned the scene with a reference to U.S. Border Patrol’s Gregory Bovino, “BREAKING: The Los Angeles ICE facility has been TOTALLY TRASHED by rioters, who have now used a large dumpster to barricade the exit … SEND IN BOVINO AND HIS MEN! They’ll shut this bullsh*t down QUICKLY.”

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Rather than cooperating with the federal government’s efforts to enforce immigration law, Bass maintained the left’s default sanctuary position as she further faulted ICE as the alleged agitators claiming the clashes were “exactly what I believe this administration want to see happen.”

“Don’t be surprised if the military reenters our city,” the mayor added instead of taking steps to quell the violence and see that the law was followed.

California Rep. Maxine Waters (D) was likewise seen near the frontline of violent protesters even after a dispersal order had been given, claiming, “What I see here at the detention center are people exercising their constitutional rights. And of course, they’re not trying to tear gas everybody. It’s in the air, but people are not moving.”

Meanwhile, LAPD and ICE continued having to contend with the violence on the streets, where they resorted to the use of chemical agents to disperse the mob of protesters late Friday evening, hours after more dispersal orders had been issued and less-than-lethal force had been authorized.

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Kevin Haggerty
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