Immigration protests: Trump won't allow 'mob rule in America,' says White House; vows to uphold ‘sacred responsibility’ of law & order

President Donald Trump "will never allow mob rule to prevail in America," the White House said on Wednesday, as protests against his immigration policies intensified across the country despite a military-backed crackdown in Los Angeles.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt made the statement at a briefing where images of burning vehicles and masked rioters were shown on screen. “The most basic duty of government is to preserve law and order, and this administration embraces that sacred responsibility,” she added.

The unrest follows a wave of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles last week aimed at enforcing Trump’s hardline immigration agenda. While many of the demonstrations have been peaceful, incidents of violence such as the torching of self-driving taxis and stone-pelting at police have prompted authorities to respond with tear gas and other non-lethal weapons.

Trump has called the protesters “animals” and “paid insurrectionists,” accusing them of using professional anti-riot gear. “It’s a good question the president is raising, and one we are looking into, about who is funding these insurrectionists,” Leavitt told AFP.

The president reiterated his hardline stance in a speech Tuesday at Fort Bragg military base, saying he would “liberate” Los Angeles, a comment that deepened tensions with California's Democratic leadership.

Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have criticised Trump’s deployment of troops as politically motivated and “dictatorial.” In response, Leavitt accused both of dereliction of duty: “Governor Gavin Newsom and Mayor Karen Bass shamefully failed to meet their sworn obligations to their citizens,” she said, further alleging that Newsom had “fanned the flames and demonized our brave ICE officers.”