Vance says National Guard still "necessary" in Los Angeles, accuses Newsom of "endangering law enforcement"
Vance is the highest-ranking Trump administration official to visit the Los Angeles area since protests broke out in the nation's second-largest city over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids. He gave brief remarks after touring a multi-agency Federal Joint Operations Center and a federal mobile command center, and meeting with leadership and Marines on the ground.
President Trump federalized thousands of troops from the California National Guard in response to the Los Angeles-area protests and ordered about 700 Marines to be deployed to protect federal property. The president has directed federal immigration authorities to prioritize deporting individuals from Democratic-run cities, including Los Angeles, and a series of ICE operations in L.A. sparked the protests earlier this month.
The deployments drew a lawsuit from California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who argued the presence of military forces could inflame the situation. Late Thursday, a federal appeals court allowed the president to keep control of the National Guard troops he deployed to the Los Angeles region, halting a ruling from a lower court judge who said the president acted illegally when he activated the troops over objections from Newsom. The protests have waned, but the troops remain.
In remarks to reporters on Friday, Vance said the situation has "gotten a lot better," but the Marines and National Guard forces are still "very much a necessary part of what's going on here," arguing the protests could "flare back up."
The vice president also alleged that Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass had "egged on" violence during the protests. The administration has accused state and local officials of failing to protect federal immigration agents from threats and interference from protesters. Local authorities have pushed back, arguing federal authorities are responsible for the chaos.
"I would absolutely say that Gavin Newsom is endangering law enforcement," Vance said.
Vance suggested the administration is willing to use the Guard in other places, but that it hopes not to.
"If you enforce your own laws and if you protect federal law enforcement, we're not going to send in the National Guard because it's unnecessary," the vice president said.
In a statement to CBS News, Newsom's office criticized Vance's visit — including one moment in which the vice president referred to Sen. Alex Padilla of California as "Jose Padilla." The Democratic senator made news last week after he was forcibly removed from a press conference hosted by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
"It was very generous of the Vice President to take time out of his closed-door fundraiser to stage a photo op in front of a fire truck — where he "mistakenly" called a Latino U.S. Senator 'Jose.' We'll let Californians judge his visit for themselves," Newsom's office said.
On Thursday, federal agents were seen outside the Los Angeles Dodgers ballpark, after the team said it blocked immigration authorities from entering. Fans protested, and the Department of Homeland Security said Customs and Border Patrol vehicles "were in the stadium parking lot very briefly, unrelated to any operation or enforcement."
Federal immigration officers have stepped up enforcement efforts, with White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller saying ICE officers are aiming for at least 3,000 arrests a day. So far, the number of arrests has failed to reach that target, with a daily average of about 1,200 arrests in the month of June as of earlier this week.
Back in Washington, Mr. Trump is handling international matters, particularly the Israel-Iran conflict. In a statement on Thursday, the president said he will decide whether the U.S. will join Israel in its strikes in the next two weeks. The president traveled to Bedminster, New Jersey, for a fundraising dinner Friday night after meetings with his national security team at the White House.
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