Press Releases

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Today, the Chairs of the Congressional Tri-Caucus—Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Chair Rep. Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09), Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC) Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), and Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC) Chair Rep. Grace Meng (NY-06)—held an emergency press conference in response to the Trump administration’s recent actions targeting immigrant communities in Los Angeles and across the country. 

“President Trump’s unlawful decision to deploy the National Guard onto the streets of Los Angeles is a reckless and inflammatory escalation — one designed not to restore calm, but to provoke chaos,” said CBC Chair Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09). “President Trump is posturing as a strongman — desperate, dangerous, and utterly detached from the principles of democracy. This is not about protecting public safety. It’s about stoking fear and silencing peaceful dissent. This is a direct attack on civil rights, due process, and our democratic norms targeting Black and communities of color. Congressional Democrats stand in full solidarity with the residents of Los Angeles, with our immigrant brothers and sisters, and with the peaceful protesters who dare to speak out – and we will support every effort to oppose this president’s abuse of power.”

"People that are trying to comply with the law, with the parameters that have been set for them, with the regulations that have been set for them to follow, are being trapped in the courtrooms, in ICE offices as they try to comply with the rules and regulations," said CHC Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (NY-13). "That is the state of America today. That's why people took to the street to protest and that's why members of Congress went to these ICE facilities -- to comply with our duties of oversight granted to us by the United States Constitution. And we were summarily denied entry. We will be going back and we will continue to go back until we have access to those facilities and we determine exactly what's going on there." 

“Like millions of Americans across the country, I am deeply concerned by the administration’s use of aggressive tactics against immigrant communities. Armed agents have raided schools, workplaces, and homes—terrorizing our neighbors and ripping families apart,” said CAPAC Chair Grace Meng. “This is not about public safety, this is about exerting control and striking fear in immigrant communities. As Members of Congress, we will continue to exercise our legal authority to conduct oversight of detention centers and demand accountability from the administration, and we will fight for immigration policies that reflect our nation’s values of fairness and dignity for all—not cruelty disguised as law and order.” 

In response to protests in Los Angeles over raids targeting migrant workers, President Trump mobilized up to 4,000 National Guard service members in California despite Governor Gavin Newsom’s objections. Trump’s order is the first time since 1965 that a president has deployed a state’s National Guard without a request from the state’s governor.   

President Trump also activated 700 Marines to join the National Guard troops in their mission, escalating a military presence that local officials deem unnecessary. The Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said that the arrival of federal military forces presents a “significant logistical and operational challenge” for officers charged with safeguarding the city. The Pentagon stated that deploying the National Guard and Marines cost taxpayers $134 million.