LA mayor’s comments saying ICE agents commit ‘kidnappings’ prompt surprise response from law enforcement

Gregory Bovino, the Border Patrol chief for California’s El Centro sector, said Wednesday on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” that recent comments by Democrat Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass are only driving federal agents to “go even harder.”

In a recent interview with MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow, Bass said Los Angeles has created a “rapid response network,” claiming U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) conducted “random snatching or kidnappings of people” throughout Los Angeles. Fox guest host Brian Kilmeade asked the Border Patrol chief to comment.

“Brian, it’s certainly concerning when an elected representative uses the word ‘kidnapping.’ That’s a law enforcement effort, a legal law enforcement effort, and an effort that we are going to continue here in Los Angeles,” Bovino said. “When I hear things like that, Brian, it makes me go even harder.”

Los Angeles and other sanctuary cities across the U.S. saw an uptick in raids arresting illegal immigrants in June, with riots and protests breaking out in downtown Los Angeles. The city experienced massive looting, destruction of Waymo cars, and widespread vandalism of buildings from anti-ICE activists. Bass, at the time, attempted to downplay the destruction.

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Bovino said that his agents and ICE agents are bringing “law and order” to the city. He criticized Bass for paying for “criminals to stay inside” Los Angeles.

“Karen Bass, she puts her money where her mouth is. She pays $300 for criminals to stay inside her city. We don’t do that here in the U.S. Border Patrol and ICE. We’ll pay $1,000 and a free plane ticket if you want to leave, and if not, we’re going to arrest you. That’s not a terrorist organization,” Bovino added. “That’s law and order, and that’s having the taxpayer and the American citizens’ backs.”

“So if she wants to continue that rhetoric, I would highly recommend that she stop,” Bovino said. “Because we’re going to go even harder here in Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and any other place where we have violent, criminal, illegal aliens that are being chosen over American citizens.”

Since the raids and arrests of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles began, Bass has pushed back against the Trump administration’s agenda. On July 7, she was seen on camera arriving at an immigration raid at MacArthur Park.

Upon her arrival, Bass was heard telling Fox 11 Los Angeles’ Elex Michaelson that the federal agents “need to leave and they need to leave right now!”

Among some of the raids conducted by federal agents throughout Los Angeles, officials have arrested illegal immigrants who were convicted of or arrested for murder, child molestation, cruelty to children, drug distribution, and other crimes.

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