Vance Sparks Outrage in L.A., Blames Democrats for Immigration Protests and Misnames Sen. Padilla

LOS ANGELES — Vice President JD Vance stirred controversy during his visit to Los Angeles on Friday, blaming California Democrats for recent violent immigration protests and misnaming the state’s first Latino U.S. senator, Alex Padilla, as “Jose Padilla” — a name associated with a convicted terrorist.

During remarks at a federal immigration operations center, Vance accused Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging unrest in response to Trump administration immigration raids across Southern California. His visit followed over a week of protests that turned chaotic at times, prompting a now-lifted citywide curfew.

“Gavin Newsom and Karen Bass, by treating the city as a sanctuary city, have basically said that this is open season on federal law enforcement,” Vance said.
“What happened here was a tragedy,” he continued. “You had people doing the simple job of enforcing the law, and they had rioters egged on by the governor and the mayor.”

Padilla Misnamed as “Jose”

Vance drew swift backlash after referring to Sen. Alex Padilla as “Jose Padilla” — an apparent swipe following Padilla’s widely shared confrontation with law enforcement last week. Padilla had been forcibly detained while protesting a press event held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

“I was hoping Jose Padilla would be here to ask a question,” Vance said. “I guess he decided not to show up because there wasn’t a theater. And that’s all it is.”

The remark sparked outrage, with many interpreting the name drop as either a racial insult or a pointed reference to the Jose Padilla — a U.S. citizen convicted in connection with a post-9/11 al-Qaida plot.

Sen. Padilla’s spokesperson, Tess Oswald, pushed back sharply. “They used to serve together in the Senate. JD Vance should know better,” she posted on social media. “He should be more focused on demilitarizing our city than taking cheap shots.”

Gov. Newsom didn’t mince words either, writing on X: “That wasn’t an accident.” He and Mayor Bass both condemned Vance’s visit and rhetoric.

“How dare you say that city officials encourage violence?” Bass said at City Hall. “We kept the peace.”

Newsom’s spokesperson, Izzy Gardon, also dismissed Vance’s remarks as “categorically false,” emphasizing the governor’s consistent opposition to violence.

Trump’s Military Surge and Political Messaging

Vance’s L.A. trip came amid a broader political storm, as the Trump administration pushes ahead with mass immigration enforcement — a cornerstone of the president’s reelection platform. Vance’s visit, which included tours of a federal operations hub and mobile command center, was widely seen as a high-profile attempt to reinforce Trump’s law-and-order message.

Federal agents launched immigration sweeps across Southern California starting June 6, igniting a wave of protests. In response, Trump ordered the deployment of approximately 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles — a city of nearly 4 million.

Trump later claimed that without military intervention, Los Angeles “would be a crime scene like we haven’t seen in years.”

California Pushes Back

Newsom has portrayed Trump’s use of military force as part of a broader effort to undermine democratic norms, accusing the administration of politicizing federal power for partisan gain.

Earlier Friday, the governor urged Vance to also visit areas devastated by January’s deadly wildfires — and to press Trump for the stalled $40 billion in federal aid tied to those disasters.

“I hope we get that back on track,” Newsom wrote on X. “We are counting on you, Mr. Vice President.”

Vance made no mention of the wildfires or disaster aid during his public remarks.

ICE Defends Crackdown

Meanwhile, immigration officials have stood by their tactics. Todd Lyons, head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), defended the agency against claims of excessive force, saying the crackdown was necessary to fulfill Trump’s promise of mass deportations.

As tensions begin to cool in Los Angeles with the lifting of curfews, the political fallout from the raids — and Vance’s visit — shows no signs of settling.