Representative Nanette Barragán (D-CA) launched a sharp rebuke against President Donald Trump on Sunday, accusing him of escalating tensions in Los Angeles by deploying the National Guard to suppress what she called “peaceful protests.” Her comments came during an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union,” where she painted the administration’s response as authoritarian overreach rather than a law enforcement necessity.
“The sheriffs have told me directly they have things under control,” Barragán said, rejecting the White House’s justification for sending in federal troops. “There is no need for the National Guard. We haven’t asked for help. This is Trump escalating it—pure and simple.”
Trump announced over the weekend that 2,000 National Guard troops would be sent to L.A. to support ICE operations, which have sparked heated protests and violent clashes across the city. Footage has shown rioters torching vehicles, throwing projectiles at police, and blocking highways while waving foreign flags. Yet Barragán insisted the situation does not warrant a federal response.
“This isn’t about public safety. This is about optics,” she said. “The president is targeting peaceful protests simply because he doesn’t like the images on television. He doesn’t like the scenes of people speaking out.”
Barragán’s remarks come as leftist outrage grows over the aggressive immigration enforcement actions carried out by ICE over the past week. She accused federal agents of operating with no meaningful focus, alleging that they have targeted vulnerable families.
“We’re seeing ICE show up at hospitals where women are giving birth, and at schools. This is not targeted enforcement,” Barragán claimed. “No one is saying don’t go after violent criminals. But this isn’t that. This is mass intimidation.”
Her comments echo broader Democratic frustration over Trump’s decision to take over the California National Guard and impose order on a city overwhelmed by pro-illegal immigration protests. Governor Gavin Newsom has also denounced the federal intervention, claiming Trump is using force to create a political spectacle.
But Trump maintains that the riots have spiraled out of control and that federal intervention is needed to support law enforcement and ensure the safe execution of deportation operations. “Order will be restored, the Illegals will be expelled, and Los Angeles will be set free,” Trump declared in a Truth Social post.
Barragán dismissed that language as inflammatory and dangerous, arguing it only inflames tensions in already marginalized communities. “People are protesting because they’ve had enough. Sending in troops just fans the flames.”
As federal agents, National Guard units, and local law enforcement continue to face off with demonstrators in the streets of L.A., the political battle over who’s to blame—and what constitutes a “peaceful protest”—is escalating just as fast. While Democrats frame the federal response as an attack on civil liberties, Trump supporters argue the president is doing what’s necessary to reestablish law and order in a city spinning out of control.
