The tension between former President Donald Trump and liberal-led cities like Los Angeles has reached a boiling point again—this time with a new lawsuit from the Department of Justice.
After weeks of unrest in LA over immigration raids, Trump’s administration is going after the city for what they call deliberate obstruction of federal immigration enforcement.
Lawsuit Follows Weeks of Clashes and Protests
The lawsuit, spearheaded by Trump ally and DOJ official Pam Bondi, accuses Los Angeles of creating policies that intentionally block immigration agents from doing their jobs.
According to Bondi, LA’s “sanctuary” approach isn’t just misguided—it’s illegal.
She claimed in a statement to the Daily Mail that these policies were the root cause of the “violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement” that played out across the city.
Bondi didn’t mince words, saying cities like LA are “undermining law enforcement at every level” by putting undocumented immigrants ahead of American citizens.
And in typical Trump fashion, she said the president plans to put a stop to it.
Not Just LA—Other Cities in the Crosshairs
This isn’t just about Los Angeles.
The DOJ is also targeting other Democrat-run cities, including Chicago, Denver, and Rochester, for similar “sanctuary” policies.
But LA became the focal point after city officials struggled to contain riots earlier in June, which erupted following a series of aggressive immigration raids.
Trump Sends in the National Guard and Marines
As the unrest escalated, Trump took matters into his own hands.
He ordered the California National Guard into Los Angeles, stating the goal was to “keep buildings secure” and protect both peaceful protesters and law enforcement.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem echoed that sentiment in a CBS interview, defending the move as necessary for public safety.
But Trump didn’t stop there. As violence continued, he even deployed U.S. Marines to protect key federal buildings like the Wilshire Federal Building, which houses multiple government agencies.
Critics, however, saw this as an extreme show of force.
Heated Words and Political Showdowns
Trump, never one to hold back, referred to the rioters as “bad people” and “animals,” suggesting that invoking the Insurrection Act was very much on the table.
“If we didn’t send in the National Guard quickly, Los Angeles would be burning to the ground,” he said in a June 10 briefing.
Meanwhile, California Governor Gavin Newsom accused Trump of inflaming tensions, but the president brushed that off entirely.
Senator Padilla Ejected from Noem’s Press Conference
Things took another dramatic turn when Senator Alex Padilla was physically removed from a press conference held by Secretary Noem in LA.
Reports say Padilla didn’t identify himself properly before moving toward the podium to ask about the raids.
He was handcuffed and escorted out by law enforcement.
Vance Stirs Controversy with Name Slip
During his own visit to Los Angeles, Vice President JD Vance added fuel to the fire by mistakenly referring to Senator Padilla as “José Padilla”—a name associated with a convicted terrorist from 2007.
Many viewed it as a pointed insult.
“They want to be on camera pretending to stand up to border enforcement,” Vance said dismissively at the time.
California leaders quickly condemned the remarks, accusing Vance of deliberate disrespect.
Padilla’s spokesperson, Tess Oswald, called the mix-up a “cheap shot” and said Vance should be focused on calming the city, not stirring division.
Calm Returns—But Questions Remain
By the time Vance toured a federal operations center and mobile command post in LA, the worst of the unrest had subsided.
The city lifted its curfew, and protests began to quiet down.
Still, questions remain: What’s next in Trump’s legal battle with LA?
Will other sanctuary cities face similar crackdowns?
And as November approaches, it’s clear that immigration and law enforcement will remain hot-button issues on the campaign trail.
