Rep. Tony Gonzales, a Texas Republican representing a southern border district, called recent protests in Los Angeles “tragic” but said he supports President Donald Trump’s deployment of the National Guard to the city while warning that Los Angeles is just “the tip of the iceberg” as the administration prepares to accelerate immigration deportations nationwide, The Hill reported.
Two thousand members of the California National Guard arrived in the Los Angeles area Sunday morning after Trump ordered their deployment to quell protests sparked by federal immigration raids in and around the city. The demonstrations, some of which turned confrontational, came in response to a series of immigration sweeps carried out late last week.
In a Truth social post, Trump described the protests as “Radical Left protests” led by “instigators and often paid troublemakers,” signaling a hard stance against the unrest.
In an interview Sunday on CBS News’ “Face the Nation,” Gonzales praised the president’s action and expressed confidence in the deployment. “Yes, I am comfortable with it,” Gonzales said. He called the protests “tragic” but distinguished between peaceful advocacy and what he described as anarchistic behavior. “It’s tragic to see what’s happening in LA. I spent 20 years in the military. I fought in two wars. I fought to give people the freedom to protest whatever the hell they want to,” he said.
“But what we’re seeing in LA are not advocates,” Gonzales continued. “We’re seeing anarchists, and the president of the United States should absolutely put down the mob as soon as possible. But this is just the tip of the iceberg.”
Gonzales warned that protests against immigration enforcement will likely spread nationwide as the Trump administration intensifies deportation efforts. “I want to see safety. I want to see safety and security [in] all places, to include LA. But once again, this is the tip of the iceberg. We’re talking about, you know, 100,000 people…that have been deported. The numbers are about to go way up.”
When asked if the administration’s focus was limited to traditionally Democrat cities like Los Angeles, Gonzales said the goal was to deport people “as fast as they possibly can,” with raids expected “across the country.” He reiterated, “Once again, this is the tip of the iceberg.”
Gonzales also criticized policies from the previous administration, noting that under President Joe Biden, “more than 400,000 asylum-seekers had their cases closed without being able to present their case before a judge.” He said, “One could argue that these 400,000 people are in this country illegally and should be deported immediately. One could also argue that these 400,000 people did not get proper, you know, an opportunity to state their case, and they didn’t have that ability.”
“What I’m worried about is this thing’s going to escalate. It’s not going to be just LA; it’ll be cities all over the country as we continue to deport people,” Gonzales added.
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