Transportation Sec. Duffy Tells Sanctuary Cities Feds Are Not Paying for Anti-ICE Riot Damage
L.A. riots costs reach nearly $20 million for police and city repairs.
Legal Insurrection has been on top of the protests and violent demonstrations arising in many sanctuary cities arising from the Trump administration’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement efforts to deport illegal immigrants.
Essentially, the movement is a clear effort on the part of Democrats to create the Hispanic version of 2020’s Summer of BLM.
Of course, these actions have several consequences that can be quite painful for local residents. For example, the city of Los Angeles has incurred nearly $20 million in police costs and other expenses in response to protests that were ginned up by its inept mayor, Karen Bass.
City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo said in a memo to the City Council that the city has incurred at least $19.7 million in costs through June 16. The Los Angeles Police Department has spent $16.9 million, including $11.7 million for overtime.
Other costs include $780,601 to repair damage at City Hall, the LAPD’s headquarters on 1st Street, and other city buildings.
Some estimates, excluding the police, run only through June 13 and the tally is expected to increase.
Protesters have held near-daily demonstrations in downtown L.A. since immigration agents raided a fast-fashion warehouse on June 6. Some protests have become violent and police have deployed tear gas canisters and shot less-lethal munitions. The LAPD said Monday that 575 people have been arrested since the demonstrations started.
Tear gas canisters and rubber bullets aren’t cheap.
However, if Bass is thinking to ask Washington, D.C. for monies to fix the place up, she is going to get rejected as quickly as Sacramento denied her efforts to get monies for wildfire recovery.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy recently announced that the Department of Transportation (DOT) will not provide federal funds to repair damage from riots in cities that, according to him, failed to prevent destruction or did not cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
“The @USDOT will NOT fund rogue state actors who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement,” Duffy wrote on X on Monday. “And to cities that stand by while rioters destroy transportation infrastructure — don’t expect a red cent from DOT, either. Follow the law, or forfeit the funding.”
Duffy’s comments come after President Donald Trump issued a directive for Immigration and Customs Enforcement to target Democratic-run cities to deport unauthorized immigrants.
On Truth Social, Trump ordered ICE agents “to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”
“In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” he added.
The @USDOT will NOT fund rogue state actors who refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement.
And to cities that stand by while rioters destroy transportation infrastructure — don’t expect a red cent from DOT, either. Follow the law, or forfeit the funding. https://t.co/cCRi4ALT23
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) June 16, 2025
As Hot Air’s Beege Welborne notes, Duffy is taking to “no one is above the law” like a duck to water.
This latest salvo from Duffy is nothing new, though. It’s only reinforcing his original stand from back in April. The Secretary of Transportation was quite clear about tying federal DOT funds to ICE and immigration cooperation even before overpass and bollard chunks began flying.
He sent around an official notice to all DOT grant recipients about following the ‘letter of the law,’ which meant ALL laws, in order to remain eligible for federal funds.
It is going to be fascinating to see Bass and her minions scramble to get the city presentable ahead of the 2028 Olympics. Maybe if China’s leader Xi Jiping comes to support his country’s athletes, Bass and California Gavin Newsom will find extra incentive to make the city civilized.
“How about just keep your fucking house clean.”
Joe Rogan and Donald Trump slam Gavin Newsom for “cleaning up” San Francisco for Xi Jinping. pic.twitter.com/Vne8bu4KLO
— Mythinformed (@MythinformedMKE) October 26, 2024
As Bass has recently been linked to Chinese Intel, she might actually be motivated to serve her city.
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WHATS NEXT
not paying for the illiterate blue city schools!!!!!
How about ‘temporary’ transfer of FAA controllers from LAX to other locations with staffing shortages? If CA and LA don’t want to cooperate with the Federal government on something as basic as immigration enforcement then other basics like continued Federal cooperation at airports and sea ports should be on the table.
we are so use to the government running ( and ruining) everything that the real solution is almost impossible to even discuss b/c the hysterics that come into the public view squashes logic (once again) in favor of the emotionalism that has kidnapped this nation into a socialist stronghold
yup..privatize the atc
then when things go wrong ( and they do under the government and then its the conflict-of-interest where the government investigates itself and we know the troubles that causes)
there would be a clear delineation where criminals can go to prison and not remain as civil servants for life
if not for the trump admin
the TRUTH about that woke /dei helo tragedy in dc a few months back would be as cloaked as the 2020 rigged election
I’d absolutely go along with gutting TSA and putting that back onto the local airport authorities who’d pass on the costs to Airlines who’d pass it on to the ticket prices. Not so sure about privatizing Air Traffic Controllers but I’m open to being convinced for it…though wouldn’t that leave the local authorities in Blue jurisdictions in control? Not sure we’d want the current Mayor of Chicago or LA choosing the personnel in the ATC towers.
We had to riot because ICE came to town so it’s Trump’s fault, not ours and you gotta pay for it.
Democrat logic
Federal judge to say uh uh in 3,….2,…
Transportation Sec. Duffy Tells Sanctuary Cities Feds Are Not Paying for Anti-ICE Riot Damage… and? And??
And charge Bass & Co. $20 million for reparations to tax payers for her wilfull negligence and depraved indifference which facilitated this death and destruction – then throw her fat ^ss in prison!
Bring the beat down; bring the pain, and make ’em SUFFER, or these midwits will simply do it again.
She hasn’t broken any laws, and is not liable for any of the damage. The city is liable and will have to pay it, which means city taxpayers foot the bill. Next time they should vote more wisely.
Her opponent in the election was a successful white guy. So he had that going against him.
With respect, she has exhibited malfeasance, misfeasance, and nonfeasance in office. OK, they aren’t crimes, but they are complete breaches of contract. She’s the Lori Lightfoot of the west coast.
Or buy insurance.
We saw with the George Floyd riots that billions of dollars of damage were done because law enforcement (or their leaders) declined to enforce the law or do anything to stop it. Those billions were largely paid for by insurance and tax dollars.
Having insurance pay for something really means anyone who buys insurance paid for it — homeowners and business owners all had the privilege of footing the bill, with taxpayers covering most of the gaps.
Much of that could have been avoided. Now, those that are making the decisions about law enforcement know, or should now, that Uncle Sugar won’t make them whole, and the locals will need to pay for the damages. That’s a good thing, as maybe we will have less damages to pay for.
With all the Mexican flags being waved, we should charge the damages to Mexico.
No, we’re not going to pay you for refusing to protect your infrastructure from lunatics. Deal with it
He’s saying two things, one of which is right and one wrong.
1. You allowed and encouraged the riots, you pay for cleanup and repairs. Why should we?
That is 100% correct and proper, and how it should always have been.
2. “The Secretary of Transportation was quite clear about tying federal DOT funds to ICE and immigration cooperation”. He can’t do that. He has no authority. The Supreme Court has been very clear that only Congress can tie federal funding to a state doing what the feds want, and even Congress must (a) do so explicitly, and (b) the amount at issue must be small enough that the state has a real choice whether to cooperate and get the money or refuse and forfeit it. In this case Congress has not tied the money to cooperation, so even if it’s a small amount the administration can’t do it.
That’s as it should be, but “sanctuary cities” are following the letter of the law, ALL laws. . There is no law requiring them to cooperate with ICE, and Congress can’t make such a law because it would violate the tenth amendment. That has been undisputed law for at least 200 years.
The feds can’t commandeer the State resources to compel them to assist in enforcement operations. That’s a different thing than the locals/State attempting to obstruct/interfere with Federal LEO operations to an extent that precludes the operation or acts to shield or harbour a suspect from Federal LEO. Big distinction.
It’s also not a good look for local/State gov’t to fail to quell mobs in the street threatening Federal employees and Federal Facilities. Of course the local municipal and State Gov’t can absolutely exercise their own discretion in how, when, where or even whether their assets will be utilized at all. The flip side of that coin is that the Feds can do the same with their assets. So if the locals/State gov’t in LA don’t suppress the mob then the Feds can simply order all the non LEO Federal personnel to stay home… Sucks that LAX got closed down. Same.for the Ports b/c the Customs inspectors got pulled into security fro the VA building. Post offices closed, all sorts of ripple effects. Heck put a Battalion of Marines on the Airport and another the Sea Port. Lock both down to ‘protect’ them from potential mob violence…out of an abundance of caution, b/c you can’t be too careful. That sort of tit for tat is probably coming if that’s what it takes to skin the cat. The sad part is it is entirely avoidable but some folks need pain as their instructor.
Neither California nor LA are “attempting to obstruct/interfere with Federal LEO operations” in any way. They are simply refusing to help, and the tenth amendment protects their right to do that.
What is a “good look” is entirely subjective, and the business of each separate entity. The voters are the only judge of that.
No, they can’t, for the reasons I listed above. (1) Only Congress can tie federal funding to state compliance with its wishes. The president can’t ever do that. They’re not his assets. (2) Even Congress must make such a tie explicitly and unambiguously. (3) Even Congress is powerless to use its resources so as to compel states to do as it wishes. It may use them to persuade states, but not to compel them. If a state is left with no choice but to comply then the funding cut is unconstitutional, and Congress must supply the funding unconditionally. That is what the Supreme Court held in S Dakota v Dole.
Milhouse,
If a local or.State employee steps between a federal LEO attempting to make a lawful detention/arrest to interfere/delay/prevent the detention/arrest that is IMO obstruction. In any event that’s a question of fact for a jury to decide.
In this instance I am not suggesting withholding funds otherwise granted to the State/local gov’t. No indeed, this is a simple exercise in discretion by the Federal Gov’t to protect the safety of it’s personnel by ordering them home with pay. The Feds absolutely have the discretion to do so for Social Security Offices, Postal Service, TSA, Customs.. It is unfortunate that ordinary customer services will be impacted in jurisdictions that don’t choose to effectively police their streets to put down mobs and that the airports, sea ports, post office, SSA office and so forth remain closed until order is restored by local and State Gov’t.
The ND decision you choose to rely upon is far more narrow IMO than in yours. That’s fine. Opinions vary.
Absolutely. And that employee should immediately be arrested and charged.
How dare you accurately cite the law if it gets in the way of my druthers.
Damage repair should be just the tip of the reparations iceberg. The government should bill LA for the costs of National Guard and USMC support to protect ICE agents as they go about their lawful duty to enforce immigration laws and any refusal to pay should result in withholding federal payments to LA or CA of any kind.