Los Angeles has been at the center of ongoing protests sparked by the administration’s immigration crackdown and ICE operations aiming to detain undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

Federal Troops Deployed Amid Unrest

Amid the violence, Trump deployed 2,000 National Guard members and 200 Marines to the city, later adding another 2,000 Guard troops and 500 Marines to protect federal property and personnel.

According to administration officials, the troops were sent in response to protest-related vandalism and threats aimed at federal agencies and staff operating in the region.

During his visit on Friday, Vance toured a multi-agency federal joint operations center and an FBI mobile command post supporting immigration enforcement activities on the ground.

Vance Briefed By Federal And State Agencies

The vice president received updates from 14 agencies, including ICE, the Department of Defense, the DEA, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.

In a press appearance, Vance said, “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.”

“But if you let violent rioters burn great American cities to the ground, then of course we’re going to send federal law enforcement in to protect people,” he continued.

Appeals Court Delivers Legal Victory

The Ninth Circuit reversed a ruling by U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer, who had said Trump likely overstepped his constitutional limits by deploying troops without approval from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The appeals court found the scale of unrest justified Trump's actions under federal law, marking the first such deployment without state consent since 1965.

Trump celebrated the court’s decision online, simply writing “BIG WIN” on his Truth Social account shortly after the ruling was announced.

Additional Tensions During Vance Visit

Vance drew attention during his remarks by mistakenly referring to Sen. Alex Padilla as “Jose Padilla” and referencing a prior incident where he claimed the senator was removed from a DHS event for disrupting Secretary Kristi Noem.

He remarked, “I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question, but unfortunately, I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t the theater — and that’s all it is.”

Vance concluded that Trump is prepared to act again if needed, saying, “The president’s going to do it again if he has to, but hopefully it won’t be necessary,” as ICE operations remain active across the city.