- 6/10/2025
Democratic caucus leaders hold a press briefing about President Trump's response to the L.A. Anti-ICE protests.
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00:30Good morning, and thank you all for joining us.
00:37I'm Congresswoman Yvette D. Clark, Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and proud representative of New York's 9th Congressional District, that's Central and Southwest Brooklyn.
00:47I want to thank my tri-caucus colleagues, CHC Chair Adriano Aspallat and KPAC Chair Grace Meng, for their leadership and presence here today.
01:01We are gathered here today because, like so many Americans, we are outraged by what we are witnessing in the streets of Los Angeles and in communities across our nation.
01:13President 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.
01:28Let's be clear about how this began with peaceful protests, peaceful protests sparked by the unlawful and inhumane targeting, detention and deportation of our immigrant neighbors.
01:43And David Huerta, a California union president arrested and injured during an immigration and customs enforcement raid last week, perpetrated by the Trump administration.
01:58The Los Angeles Police Department had largely stabilized the situation, but instead of de-escalating, President Trump seized control of the National Guard forces in defiance of constitutional norms and poured gasoline on an already volatile moment.
02:17Now, under the false guise of restoring order to a crisis of his own making, the president has deployed hundreds of active-duty Marines to engage in domestic law enforcement, something they do not have the legal authority to do.
02:35Don't fall for the lie.
02:37This is not about protecting public safety.
02:40It's about stoking fear and silencing peaceful dissent.
02:44It's about turning us one against one another.
02:48This is a direct attack on civil rights, due process, and our democratic norms targeting black and communities of color.
02:59Perhaps the most sobering truth is this.
03:02For Donald Trump, Los Angeles is only the beginning.
03:06If this president is willing to send military troops into an American city over peaceful dissent, we must ask, what happens next?
03:17What American community will be next?
03:21In a matter of weeks, maybe days, another contrived crisis could bring the armed forces to more of our communities.
03:29This presence won't be to defend our freedoms, but to instill fear.
03:35That has always been his goal, to make every black, Latino, Asian, and immigrant community, or any American, who would dare to speak out against him afraid.
03:47From threatening to arrest a sitting governor, to hinting at martial force against civilians, Trump is not acting like a leader.
03:59He is posturing as a strong man, desperate, dangerous, and utterly detached from the principles of democracy.
04:08This president has crossed the line, and we must all understand what that means.
04:15We still don't know the full consequences of this unprecedented authoritarian overreach.
04:22But let me be clear.
04:23Congressional Democrats stand in full solidarity with the residents of Los Angeles, with our immigrant sisters and brothers,
04:31and with the peaceful protesters who dare to speak out and who will support every effort to oppose this president's abuse of power.
04:41And I want to thank Governor Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass for their resolve and leadership.
04:48To those who choose to peacefully protest, peacefully protest, stay strong, and remain peaceful.
04:57The right to protest, to speak out against injustice, is fundamental to our democracy.
05:08It is protected by our Constitution.
05:11It is part of the American story.
05:14Trump wants violence.
05:16Not to stop it, but to justify his own.
05:21Do not give him what he wants.
05:23Having said that, it's my honor now to turn the podium over to the chair of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Congressman Adriano Espaillat.
05:35Thank you, Chair Clark, Chair Meng.
05:38Together we make up the Tri-Caucus, a strong voice in the House of Representatives,
05:45one that represents many districts that are being impacted by this aggressive action from the White House.
05:56So let's turn back and figure out how we got here.
06:01President Trump says that he's going to arrest violent criminals and deport them.
06:10The fact is, he's going after working people.
06:17He's going after moms.
06:20He's going after folks that are trying to make ends meet.
06:24He's going into a Home Depot to arrest day laborers.
06:29He's stopping families on their way to a Houston hospital where four children, U.S.-born children,
06:38were deported to Mexico with their parents, including a 10-year-old little girl with a cancerous brain tumor
06:45that now has no access to the health care that she needs to save her life.
06:51That's who he's going after.
06:57And he's doing this in an aggressive way.
07:01And so that's what got us to this moment where hundreds of people showed up to an ICE facility
07:09to protest because they heard, they got accounts, that over 200 people,
07:16just like the ones that I described, were being held there.
07:19Four of our members went there and were not allowed in.
07:27In fact, chemicals were spilled on the floor.
07:30We were asking for a full investigation of that action.
07:36And some of them suffering from asthma were impacted by that.
07:40I myself was at 26 Federal Plaza on Sunday as people would call in for court dates on a Sunday.
07:48were dismissed, their cases were dismissed, only to find out that ICE was waiting for them outside in the hallways
07:57where they were cupped, kept in the building, processed for hours upon hours
08:03to be sent to a detention center where they await deportation.
08:08People that are trying to comply with the law,
08:11with the parameters that have been set for them, the regulations that have been told for them to follow,
08:19are being trapped in the courtrooms, in ICE offices, as they try to comply with the rules and regulation.
08:28That is the state of America today.
08:31And that's why people took to the street to protest.
08:35And that's why members of Congress went to these ICE facilities
08:39to comply with our duties of oversight
08:43granted to us by the U.S. Constitution.
08:48And we were summarily denied entry.
08:52We will be going back.
08:53And we will continue to go back until we have access to those facilities
09:00and we determine exactly what's going on there.
09:04Because people are coming in and they're not coming out.
09:09So that is what's happening right now in America.
09:12He has militarized Los Angeles.
09:15He has deputized local law enforcement with federal powers dividing people
09:26as opposed to bringing the country together.
09:29The Tri-Caucus will stand united.
09:32We will stand united.
09:34We will comply with our constitutional duties of oversight.
09:39And we will continue to visit these ICE facilities until we get to the bottom of this.
09:44And I yield to Congresswoman Grace Meng.
09:50Hi, everyone.
09:51I'm Congresswoman Grace Meng,
09:52chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, or KPAC.
09:56I'm proud to join my Tri-Caucus colleagues here today,
10:00chairs Yvette Clark and Adriano Espayot,
10:03to stand up for immigrants
10:05and stand against this Trump administration's attacks on our neighbors,
10:09our loved ones, and our friends.
10:11Like millions of Americans across the country,
10:15I'm deeply concerned by the administration's use of aggressive tactics against our immigrant communities.
10:22Armed agents have raided schools, workplaces, and homes,
10:27terrorizing our neighbors and literally ripping families apart.
10:32These stories are heartbreaking.
10:34You've heard some of them.
10:35A four-year-old citizen, U.S. citizen,
10:38who was receiving treatment for stage four cancer,
10:42was deported after showing up for a routine check-in.
10:46And child's birthday party in Texas was raided by federal authorities with flashbang grenades.
10:54As a mom, I can't even imagine how traumatizing that must have been for these kids.
10:59These are not the criminals the administration claims they are.
11:05They are our neighbors, our friends, and loved ones who work hard,
11:10pay their taxes, and contribute to our country.
11:13The Department of Homeland Security should use its limited resources
11:18to address serious national security threats
11:21and fix our broken immigration system.
11:24Instead, President Trump continues to escalate tensions
11:29and even deployed 2,000-plus National Guard troops
11:33and 700 Marines to Los Angeles,
11:37despite the sitting California governor's objections.
11:41This is not about public safety.
11:43This is about exerting control
11:45and striking more fear in our immigrant communities.
11:49Threatening to send troops into neighborhoods,
11:51especially against the state governor's wishes,
11:55is an abuse of power
11:56that will undermine the National Guard's mission,
12:00erode trust, and put more people in harm's way.
12:04This military action is coming from the same president
12:07who refused to deploy the National Guard on January 6,
12:12when there was more violent protests already happening right here.
12:16My colleagues and I were trapped in the Capitol
12:20while brave law enforcement officers here
12:23put their lives on the line to protect us
12:26from violent insurrectionists.
12:28And I remember getting the message very soon
12:31that no, the president will not be sending the National Guard.
12:35Let me be clear,
12:37Americans have a constitutional right
12:40to protest peacefully
12:42and to demand justice and due process for their neighbors.
12:46Especially when the federal government fails
12:49to uphold these principles.
12:51As members of Congress,
12:53we have been exercising our legal authority
12:56to conduct oversight of detention centers
12:59and demand accountability from the administration.
13:02We stand in solidarity with the immigrants
13:05who make America great.
13:07And our country is made stronger because of them.
13:11And we will continue to fight for immigration policies
13:14that reflect our nation's values of fairness
13:17and dignity for all,
13:19not cruelty disguised as law and order.
13:24And I yield back to Chair Clark.
13:28Let me thank all of my colleagues assembled here.
13:32This is a representation of our Democratic caucus
13:36to a large extent.
13:38Because indeed,
13:39we are a reflection of the constituencies
13:42that sent us here to represent them.
13:45Having said that,
13:46we are open now for any questions you may have.
13:50Yes, could you state your name
13:51and your publication or outlet?
13:54Yes, my name is Annie Shea
13:55and I'm with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
13:57We've heard some Democrats say today
13:59that they condemn any violence
14:01that broke out in L.A. over the weekend.
14:05However, Congresswoman Maxine Waters
14:07has said that there has been no violence.
14:09She didn't see any violence.
14:10There wasn't anything happening in L.A.
14:12And there's just a bit of a difference in messaging there
14:14from what we're hearing from a lot of other Democrats.
14:17Is that concerning at all,
14:19that difference in messaging
14:20or anything of that nature?
14:22I think everyone is entitled to their opinion.
14:24She's there on the ground
14:26and she has her own observations.
14:28Any other questions?
14:29Yes, I'm Lucy Cox with Fox News.
14:32So President Trump and the DOD
14:34have sent 700 Marines to L.A.,
14:36but they're needing additional training
14:38for domestic situations.
14:40So what do you think this says
14:41about the decision to send Marines there?
14:43Well, I think it's a waste of taxpayer dollars.
14:47The governor of the state of California
14:49has not requested this
14:51and it's being imposed on his state.
14:55Yes.
14:56Nick with Politico.
14:57So I wanted to ask about a post
14:59on Axe last night
15:00by Senator Fetterman of Pennsylvania.
15:01He said that your party
15:03loses the moral high ground
15:04when you refuse to condemn
15:05sending cars on fire,
15:06destroying buildings,
15:07insulting law enforcement.
15:08I was wondering if I could get
15:09your response to that.
15:10Is this helpful for him
15:12to be criticizing others in the party?
15:15He has a First Amendment right
15:18to say whatever he'd like to say.
15:21Next.
15:22Carrie Pickett for the Washington Times.
15:27Now, it's been reported
15:28that 14 law enforcement officers
15:31so far have been injured in L.A. riding
15:34and there have been reports
15:35of millions of dollars
15:37in a property damage.
15:39Do you believe,
15:40given these statistics,
15:41that these protests are peaceful
15:43and that they do not constitute
15:45a insurrection?
15:46I don't believe
15:48there's an insurrection taking place.
15:51And I'd like to see
15:53the statistics around
15:55those who are ill and sickly
15:57who are currently being detained.
15:59One other question.
16:01Leader Jeffries recently said
16:02that every single ICE agent
16:03who's engaged
16:05in this aggressive overreach
16:06and are trying to hide
16:07their identities
16:08from the American people
16:09will be unsuccessful
16:11in doing that
16:12in every single one of them,
16:13no matter what it takes,
16:14no matter how long it takes,
16:16will, of course, be identified.
16:17Do you think that ICE agents
16:19should be identified
16:20to the public?
16:22And why is the Democrat
16:23position that criminals
16:25should remain masked
16:26and law enforcement
16:27should be unmasked?
16:29Anyone that's enforcing the law
16:31or is an agent for peace
16:34or the law
16:35should not be anonymous.
16:37Why should they be anonymous?
16:39What about those protesting, though?
16:41I don't believe
16:42that anybody should be anonymous,
16:44but precisely someone
16:45that is enforcing the law
16:47that comes into your house,
16:50knocks on your door,
16:51should not be anonymous.
16:53Their name should be branded
16:54in their uniform
16:55and we should be able
16:56to identify their face.
16:58Absolutely.
17:01And just to add to that,
17:03how do we know
17:03who these individuals are?
17:05Any Joe Schmo on the street
17:06can now claim
17:07to be an ICE agent
17:08and harm someone
17:10in our communities.
17:11That cannot stand.
17:12That cannot stand.
17:13You would not want
17:15someone random
17:16to come up
17:17and accost you
17:18and you have no way
17:20of indicating
17:21who they are,
17:22where they're taking you,
17:23what their mission is.
17:24These individuals
17:25must comply
17:27with making sure
17:29that they're known.
17:31I'm talking about
17:32law enforcement.
17:33We're talking about
17:34law enforcement.
17:36Protesters and law enforcement
17:37are not on the same level.
17:38So to try to equate
17:40the two
17:40is a false equation.
17:43Next.
17:44Thank you, Madam Chair.
17:45Michael Jones,
17:46Once Upon a Hill.
17:47Democrats joined
17:48Republicans last night
17:50on a resolution
17:51to condemn
17:52the terrorist attack
17:53in Boulder last week.
17:54It shows that bipartisanship,
17:56that Democrats
17:57are willing to stand
17:58with Republicans
17:59on issues of democracy,
18:01issues of fighting
18:02anti-Semitism.
18:03Are you disappointed
18:03that so few Republicans
18:05have come out
18:06and joined you all
18:07in pushing back
18:08against the Trump administration
18:09and what you all
18:10describe as lawless?
18:11And what do those
18:11conversations look like
18:12with your colleagues
18:13behind the scenes
18:15across the aisle?
18:15Are you hopeful
18:16that some will
18:17join you all
18:19in condemning
18:20the Trump administration,
18:22this lawlessness
18:22that you claim
18:23is going on?
18:24I'm disappointed,
18:26but I'm not surprised.
18:29I can say
18:31that there are Republicans
18:32who are weaponizing
18:33tools to fight
18:35anti-Semitism.
18:37Republicans say
18:38they stand against
18:38anti-Semitism.
18:40And at the same time,
18:41they are trying
18:42to decimate funding
18:43to agencies
18:44like the Department
18:44of Education's
18:45Office for Civil Rights,
18:47which is our main agency
18:49to fight back
18:50against anti-Semitism
18:51on campuses,
18:52for example.
18:56Yes.
18:58Mexican President
18:59Claude...
19:00Your name and...
19:00Nathan Wolster,
19:01Epoch Times.
19:02Okay.
19:02Mexican President
19:03Claudia Scheinbaum
19:04has described
19:05some of the protesters
19:06as heroes.
19:07Does that raise
19:08any concerns
19:08in terms of
19:09national sovereignty
19:10or political interference
19:11from abroad?
19:12You know,
19:13everyone has
19:13their observations.
19:15You know,
19:15we don't live
19:16in isolation.
19:18And people are watching
19:19what's taking place
19:20around the world
19:21here in the United States.
19:23Like we have here
19:24our First Amendment
19:25right to speak out,
19:26she has hers.
19:27The Mexican President
19:30is entitled
19:30to her opinion.
19:31Our President
19:32wants to rename
19:33the Gulf of Mexico
19:34to the Gulf of America.
19:36How about that?
19:37Is that hemispheric
19:38interference?
19:40He has opinions
19:41about practically
19:43every country
19:44in the world.
19:45Not all the time
19:46the best opinions.
19:48He's called countries
19:50names that I will
19:51not pronounce
19:51in this audience.
19:54So he has
19:55his own opinion.
19:56She's entitled
19:56to hers.
19:57Would this be equivalent
19:58to Vladimir Putin
19:59weighing in
19:59on American
20:00protest activity?
20:02No.
20:04Vladimir Putin,
20:05you know,
20:06penetrated
20:07social media.
20:09He orchestrated
20:10actions that
20:12many could characterize
20:13as election fraud.
20:16He was actively
20:17involved in swaying
20:18the American public
20:19in support
20:20of one candidate
20:21against the other.
20:22I don't think
20:23that's what
20:23the Mexican President
20:24is doing.
20:27Say your name.
20:29Congressmember
20:29Nanette Bergen,
20:30California's 44th District.
20:33The Mexican President,
20:35when she made
20:35these comments,
20:37was referring
20:37to people
20:38that were
20:38protesting peacefully
20:40against mass deportations.
20:42And, of course,
20:43in Los Angeles,
20:44we have a large
20:45Mexican population.
20:47So,
20:48I stand
20:49with the people
20:50in Los Angeles
20:51who are protesting
20:52peacefully
20:53against these
20:55mass deportations
20:56and against
20:57the process,
20:59which is ICE
21:00treating people
21:01without any dignity
21:02and inhumanely.
21:04So,
21:04I believe
21:05the context
21:06in which she said it
21:07was about
21:09standing with
21:10protesters
21:10and making sure
21:11people are treated
21:12with dignity.
21:12so let's not
21:13confuse that
21:14with Vladimir Putin
21:15and him
21:16interfering
21:16with an election
21:17that has nothing
21:18to do
21:19with Russian-Americans.
21:26I see you.
21:27Yes.
21:28You've described
21:28what Trump is doing
21:29in Los Angeles
21:30as lawlessness
21:31and unconstitutional
21:32and a violation
21:33of human rights.
21:34Do these things
21:35rise to the level
21:36of impeachment?
21:37Are these
21:37impeachable offenses?
21:38Well,
21:39you know,
21:40I do,
21:41I believe it is.
21:43I definitely
21:44believe it is.
21:45But we'll cross
21:46that bridge
21:46when we get to it.
21:49Yes?
21:49Lee Asgarn
21:50on AP.
21:52I'm hoping
21:52you can just
21:53take a step back
21:54and characterize
21:55the nature
21:55of the protests.
21:56I think you're
21:57getting a lot
21:57of questions
21:57about instances
21:59of violence,
21:59whether you
22:00characterize them
22:00as peaceful.
22:01Can you just
22:02kind of describe
22:02for us,
22:03you know,
22:03how you see
22:04these protests?
22:04Are they mostly
22:05peaceful instances
22:06of violence?
22:06Are they violent
22:07protests?
22:08You have heard
22:09all of us say
22:10and ask protesters
22:12to be peaceful
22:13when the protests
22:15right here
22:16at the United States
22:17Capitol
22:18were happening
22:19when there was
22:20more violence
22:21than we had ever
22:21seen on the first
22:23and second day
22:24of the protests
22:25in L.A.
22:25This exact president,
22:27when we were
22:27begging him
22:28to send in
22:29the National Guard,
22:30when there was
22:30already violence
22:31and vandalism
22:33right here,
22:34he refused
22:34to do so.
22:35So now he's
22:36going to turn
22:36the argument around
22:37and say it's
22:38about public safety?
22:40Uh-uh.
22:40You can't be
22:40a hypocrite like that.
22:42This is not
22:43a mob chanting.
22:46Jews will not
22:46replace us
22:47in Virginia.
22:49This is not
22:50a violent mob
22:51chanting,
22:54hang Mike Pence,
22:56where's Nancy
22:57in the Capitol.
22:59For the most part,
23:01the protesters
23:02are peace-abiding
23:04people that are
23:06concerned about
23:07the aggressiveness
23:08of ICE
23:09and human rights
23:10and the treatment
23:12of immigrants
23:12across the country.
23:14I don't know
23:14of any immigrant
23:15that leaves
23:16his or her house
23:17in the morning
23:18and says,
23:19wait a minute,
23:19let me see
23:20how I break
23:21the law today,
23:22get arrested
23:22and deported.
23:24Quite the contrary.
23:26They probably
23:26leave their houses
23:27and say,
23:28I don't abide
23:28with the law.
23:29I don't want
23:29to be stopped.
23:30I don't want
23:31to be arrested
23:31and deported.
23:32So the people
23:33that are protesting
23:34for the most part,
23:36they're not
23:38violent.
23:39They're not
23:40there to cause
23:41issues of trouble
23:42or vandalism.
23:44The ones
23:45that are there
23:45causing that,
23:46we're rejecting
23:48that forcefully
23:49and we're saying
23:50to people,
23:51protest peacefully.
23:52But certainly
23:54this is not
23:56to the standard
23:56of a mob
23:57chanting Jews
23:58will not
23:59replace us
24:00or hang Mike Pence.
24:07Yes.
24:09I'm Julio Pichal,
24:10I think the voters.
24:11Seeing what the response
24:12has been
24:13in California,
24:14what are your thoughts
24:16on how counter-processors
24:17may be received
24:18here in D.C.
24:21on the weekend
24:22for the birthday parade?
24:23Well,
24:24as long as
24:24they're peaceful,
24:25they have a right.
24:31No more questions?
24:33Yes, sir.
24:34And what is
24:34your name again?
24:35Yes.
24:36Jacob Adams,
24:36Daily Signal.
24:37Immigration
24:38was a top issue
24:39during the 2024 election
24:41which President Trump won,
24:42including the popular vote.
24:44Do you worry
24:44that the American people
24:45want, you know,
24:48border enforcement
24:48are not with you
24:49on this issue?
24:50Well, first of all,
24:51the border
24:52had the lowest crossings
24:54in, in, in, in,
24:56over the past
24:58ten years
24:59right now.
25:00So,
25:00it's not about
25:01border crossings.
25:02What we're talking about
25:03are core
25:05constitutional values,
25:07due process.
25:08And this
25:09president
25:10has violated that.
25:12And so,
25:13notwithstanding
25:14winning an election,
25:16I don't believe
25:17that any person
25:18of goodwill
25:19would see
25:21what is taking place
25:22across this nation
25:23and not be concerned
25:25about the way
25:26that this is being conducted,
25:29the violation
25:30of human rights,
25:31the lack
25:32of due process.
25:34And we're beginning
25:35to see a shift
25:36in people
25:37who thought
25:39one thing
25:40about how
25:41Donald Trump
25:42was going to conduct
25:43his immigration
25:45policy,
25:47which was to go
25:48after violent criminals
25:49and are now seeing
25:51their neighbors,
25:53their congregants,
25:54people they
25:55work with,
25:57being harassed,
25:59being disappeared,
26:00and being treated
26:02as subhuman.
26:03All right,
26:07we're good.
26:08Enjoy the rest
26:09of the day,
26:09folks.
26:10Good job.