Trump’s US Attorney Just Exposed the Real Reason Behind California’s Attacks on ICE Officers
California Governor Gavin Newsom has spent years preaching about "compassion" and "sanctuary" policies while attacking federal immigration enforcement.
But when chaos erupted on the streets of Los Angeles, Newsom’s true priorities got exposed in spectacular fashion.
And Trump’s US Attorney just revealed one ugly truth about California’s attacks on ICE officers.
US Attorney Bill Essayli Calls Out California’s Obstruction Game
US Attorney Bill Essayli didn’t hold back when he torched California’s Democrat leadership for their years of sabotaging federal immigration enforcement.¹
The truth is, California created the very crisis they’re now complaining about.
In June 2025, violent protests broke out during federal immigration raids. President Trump sent 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles under Title 10 authority to bring order back.²
The federal government wasn’t trying to take over.
This was necessary to keep federal agents safe while California’s leaders made things unsafe on purpose.
This wasn’t some power grab by the federal government.
This was necessary to protect federal agents doing their jobs while California’s leadership deliberately created dangerous conditions.
During the June riots, protesters attacked federal officers, threw projectiles, and surrounded federal buildings while local officials stood by and watched.
Forty-four people were arrested for suspected immigration violations, and multiple others were charged with obstructing federal agents.³
The Reality Behind California’s Immigration Theater
Here’s what Newsom and his allies don’t want you to know about their "sanctuary" policies.
When rioters throw projectiles at federal officers and block detention centers, California’s leadership looks the other way.
They create chaos, then act surprised when the federal government steps in to restore order.
Essayli has been fighting back against this coordinated obstruction through Operation Guardian Angel, a federal program that targets illegal immigrants in state custody for federal charges.⁴
The program works by having federal agents review the files of illegal immigrants immediately upon their booking into county jails and filing federal charges before sanctuary policies can kick in.
Essayli told Fox News that his office reviews cases around the clock to prevent California from releasing criminal illegal immigrants back onto the streets.⁵
By May 2025, Operation Guardian Angel had successfully transferred 13 defendants into federal custody, with dozens more arrests expected.
Newsom’s Hypocrisy Gets Exposed
Look at the pattern here, and you’ll see exactly what’s been happening.
California’s Democrat leadership spent the Biden years actively undermining immigration enforcement at every turn.
They passed sanctuary laws, refused to cooperate with ICE, and created an environment where attacking federal agents became normalized.
But the moment Trump returned to office and started enforcing the law, suddenly they’re crying about federal "overreach."
When protesters turned violent during immigration raids, attacking federal officers and surrounding federal buildings, local officials like Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the federal response instead of condemning the violence.
Bass expressed anger at federal immigration enforcement operations, calling them tactics that create terror in communities – while ignoring the actual terror created by rioters attacking federal agents.⁶
She condemned federal law enforcement while refusing to acknowledge that her own policies created the conditions for violence against federal officers.
What This Really Means for America
This standoff in California exposes the bigger battle happening across the country.
Democrat governors and mayors spent four years under Biden refusing to enforce immigration law, creating chaos, and then blaming everyone else when things went sideways.
Now that Trump is back in office and serious about border security, they’re discovering that obstructionism has consequences.
The National Guard deployment wasn’t some authoritarian overreach – it was the predictable result of California’s deliberate sabotage of federal law enforcement.
When state and local officials refuse to provide basic security for federal operations, the federal government has no choice but to step in.
Essayli has made it crystal clear that federal law enforcement won’t be deterred by California’s sanctuary policies.
He told ABC News that his office would find ways to bypass state protections and obtain custody of criminal illegal immigrants regardless of California’s objections.⁷
For folks who believe in law and order, this is exactly what they voted for when they elected Trump.
No more games, no more sanctuary city nonsense, and no more attacks on federal agents while politicians look the other way.
Essayli and the Trump administration are making it clear that there’s a new sheriff in town, and federal law will be enforced whether California likes it or not.
The June riots proved that California’s sanctuary policies don’t just protect illegal immigrants – they endanger federal agents and create the perfect conditions for violence and chaos.
¹ Eric Daugherty, Twitter post, Twitter, September 22, 2025.
² Associated Press, "Trump deploys National Guard in L.A. amid protests over immigration raids," NBC News, June 8, 2025.
³ "June 2025 Los Angeles protests," Wikipedia, accessed September 22, 2025.
⁴ "U.S. attorney launches program to counter California’s ‘sanctuary’ law," Daily Journal, June 25, 2025.
⁵ Ibid.
⁶ "June 2025 Los Angeles protests," Wikipedia, accessed September 22, 2025.
⁷ "New Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Los Angeles Bill Essayli takes aim at California sanctuary state policies," ABC7 Los Angeles, April 24, 2025.
