Democrats thought they had the perfect talking point to attack Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement.
The Left and their media allies rushed to blame ICE raids for sparking violent riots.
But Tom Homan exposed the real truth behind riots that left Democrats scrambling for cover.
Democrats blamed Trump for LA riots over fake ICE raid narrative
The streets of Los Angeles erupted into chaos as violent rioters clashed with federal agents and law enforcement.
Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media were quick to point fingers at President Trump’s immigration enforcement policies.
The narrative pushed by the Left was simple: Trump’s ICE raids were terrorizing immigrant communities and driving people to desperation.
But like most Democrat talking points, this one was built on a foundation of lies.
Border Czar Tom Homan stepped forward to set the record straight about what really happened in Los Angeles.
The riots weren’t sparked by immigration raids at all.
Instead, federal agents were executing criminal warrants targeting suspected cartel-linked businesses involved in serious financial crimes.
"It was a criminal investigation and while we served a criminal warrant, we arrested about 40 illegal aliens," Homan told L.A. radio host John Kobylt.
The operation focused on a garment district business suspected of money laundering, customs fraud, and tax evasion.
Business owners were accused of failing to declare over $80 million in imports while dodging $17 million in taxes and tariffs.
Homan revealed the dangerous criminals taken off LA streets
The Border Czar didn’t stop at correcting the false narrative about the nature of the operation.
Homan detailed exactly what kind of dangerous criminals federal agents removed from Los Angeles streets during the operation.
"We arrested a murderer. We arrested several child sex predators. We arrested a rapist. We arrested someone who convicted of armed robbery," Homan explained to the radio host.
"We arrested a Vietnamese national who murdered two teenagers at a graduation party," he added.
"We made Los Angeles safer and people don’t want to hear that, they just want to take action against ICE officers," Homan stated.
The Border Czar made it clear that immigration enforcement would continue despite the violent opposition.
"They don’t want immigration enforcement but I’ve got news for them. We’re going to do it. We’re doing it today. We’re going to do it tomorrow. We’re going to do it every day," Homan declared.
Union boss sparked riots by blocking federal agents
The chaos in Los Angeles didn’t happen by accident.
David Huerta, president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), deliberately interfered with the federal criminal investigation.
According to court documents, Huerta and a group of supporters blocked FBI and Department of Homeland Security agents during their operation.
Federal agents were attempting to execute a lawful search warrant when Huerta "deliberately obstructed their access by blocking their vehicle," according to U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli.
Huerta was arrested and charged with "conspiracy to impede an officer," a felony that carries a maximum sentence of six years in federal prison.
Video footage shows Huerta being detained while federal agents had to physically move him out of the way.
The union boss was hospitalized for injuries sustained during his arrest and later released on $50,000 bond.
Huerta’s interference and arrest became a rallying cry that inflamed tensions and helped fuel the violent riots that followed.
Professional agitators turned protests into violent riots
The situation quickly spiraled out of control as professional agitators and rioters joined the fray.
U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, who was recently appointed by Attorney General Pam Bondi in April 2025, described how the protests were "orchestrated and organized and ready-to-go."
"Now it doesn’t matter what the reason is. Now you’ve got the Antifas, the agitators, the professional rioters, and it’s go-time for them," Essayli told KFI radio.
Federal agents encountered violent resistance and had to deploy tear gas and less-lethal munitions to maintain order.
LAPD was called for backup, but it took two hours for local police to arrive at the scene.
Border agents brought in a Black Hawk helicopter mid-operation to resupply their teams.
"Reinforcements were called in and Saturday we had hundreds of Border Patrol agents up here to continue our operations," Essayli said.
President Trump activated the National Guard to restore law and order in Los Angeles.
"The president is going to restore law and order," Essayli stated, criticizing California Governor Gavin Newsom’s response to the crisis.
Federal authorities expose the truth about cartel investigation
The federal authorities made clear that their operations were part of a broader strategy to target cartel-linked financial crimes.
Homan explained on MSNBC’s Morning Joe that the operation was "the service of three criminal warrants at locations based on a large criminal conspiracy that ICE is investigating, that has to do with money laundering, tax evasion and customs fraud."
The investigation is part of a wider probe into cartel activities in Los Angeles where authorities believe some of the money is being laundered in Mexico and Colombia.
Sources including Homan and Essayli say the unrest was incited by activists who deliberately mischaracterized the federal operation as an immigration raid.
Tom Homan’s revelation completely demolished the Democrat narrative about the LA riots.
The Border Czar showed that federal agents were doing their jobs to protect Americans from dangerous criminals and cartel operations.
Democrats and their media allies rushed to exploit the situation for political gain without bothering to get their facts straight.
The real story is that Trump’s immigration enforcement is making communities safer by removing murderers, rapists, and other dangerous criminals from American streets while also disrupting cartel money laundering operations.
