[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 18, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S3464-S3465]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                          Los Angeles Protests

  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, recently, the American people have 
witnessed something that is truly disturbing to them. While President 
Trump is making America safe by getting criminal illegal aliens off the 
streets, what they have seen is some on the left are trying to stop the 
removal of criminal illegal aliens.
  This is an issue where about 90 percent of the American people agree 
they do not want gangs--Tren de Aragua, MS-13--violent gangs--criminals 
that have committed rape, murder, child sexual abuse, drug traffickers, 
sex traffickers. They don't want them in their communities.
  But when you look at L.A., what you are seeing is that ICE 
apprehended illegal aliens with these appalling criminal histories. And 
these are not just charges that have been filed, they are actual 
convictions that these people have had. I will say this, L.A. and all 
these other communities where you have removed these criminal illegal 
aliens, the streets are going to be safer, communities are going to be 
safer. Yet you have some pro-illegal leftists in California who have 
lined up to actually condemn the arrests.
  Gov. Gavin Newsom has called them reckless and cruel, and the L.A. 
mayor, Mayor Bass, claimed that arresting criminals actually sows 
terror--her words. Representative Maxine Waters said President Trump is 
targeting--her words--the ``most vulnerable people.''
  These statements are truly at odds with reality, and they make 
absolutely no sense. How does it sow terror when you are actually 
apprehending the criminals and taking them off the streets? But when 
you look at reality and then look at these statements, you see that--
whether it is Governor Newsom or Mayor Bass--they did nothing as these 
violent rioters took over L.A. County streets to protest lawful 
arrests.
  Following the operations, thousands of far-left activists set 
vehicles on fire; they looted businesses, many owned by those that had 
immigrated to our country; they shot fireworks at police officers; they 
blocked off freeways; they burned American flags; and they unleashed 
chaos across the city. According to Democrats, these riots were, in 
their word, ``peaceful.''
  Anyone else could see that the violence that was transpiring was out 
of control. Even L.A.'s police chief said that his troops were 
overwhelmed. That is why President Trump deployed 4,000 National 
Guardsmen and 700 Marines to L.A. to help restore law and order.
  Instead of saying thank you to the President for this much needed 
support as the officers were ``overwhelmed,'' Democrats started 
attacking him. In fact, Governor Newsom is suing the Trump 
administration to remove National Guardsmen from L.A. Once again, the 
Democrats are siding with criminals over law-abiding citizens.
  The images you see of barricaded streets, burning vehicles, looted 
store fronts, that is what the leftists want. We saw this in 2020, and 
we saw then that you had elected officials standing on the side of 
criminals. They are on the side of violent rioters, lawlessness, and 
chaos.

  The American people are tired of crime. They have had enough. As I 
said earlier, they do not want violent gangs--MS-13 or Tren de Aragua--
in their neighborhoods. They want them apprehended, and they want them 
deported. It is a big reason voters returned President Trump to the 
Oval Office, and he is going to do everything he can to bring this 
violence in these cities to an end.
  In the Senate, Republicans are working hard to make certain that not 
only the President but also the administration have the tools that they 
need to get the job done. My CLEAR Act would ensure that State and 
local law enforcement officials have the explicit

[[Page S3465]]

authority to assist the Federal Government in our immigration 
enforcement efforts by codifying the 287(g) Program that is so 
critical. This would enable law enforcement entities just to move 
forward with that. They wouldn't have to apply for the program.
  This month, I also introduced legislation that is backed by the White 
House that would establish a Deportation Shot Clock. This would require 
the Federal Government to deport an illegal alien within 15 days of 
removal proceedings being commenced. This would empower the Trump 
administration to expedite deportations and ensure that we are getting 
criminals off our streets faster than ever before.
  While Democrats and the leftists out in L.A. are siding with 
criminals, President Trump and the Republicans here are doing 
everything we can to help make America safe again.