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By Sen. Marsha Blackburn

While President Trump is making America safe again by getting criminal illegal aliens off our streets, Democrats are trying their best to oppose his mandate from the American people.

Look no further than Los Angeles. In recent operations in America’s second-largest city, Immigration and Customs Enforcement apprehended illegal aliens with appalling criminal histories, including convicted murderers, rapists, child abusers, burglars, drug dealers, human traffickers and more.

L.A. is safer without these violent criminals roaming free in the city. Yet California Democrats, who have long defied federal immigration law and harbored criminals like these with sanctuary city policies, have lined up to condemn the arrests.

Gov. Newsom said that the ICE arrests “are as reckless as they are cruel.” L.A. Mayor Bass claimed that they “sow terror” and “disrupt basic principles of safety.” Rep. Maxine Waters called President Trump a “cruel human being” who is targeting “the most vulnerable people” in our country.

These statements are completely at odds with reality. But they help explain why Newsom and Bass did nothing as violent rioters took over L.A. County streets to protest lawful arrests.

In recent days, thousands of far-left activists have set vehicles on fire, looted businesses, thrown rocks and shot fireworks at police officers, blocked off freeways, burned and desecrated American flags, and unleashed chaos across the city. According to Democrats, these riots are “peaceful.” Anyone else can see that this violence is out of control. Even L.A.’s police chief said that his officers were “overwhelmed.”

That’s why President Trump deployed 4,000 National Guardsmen and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to restore law and order. Instead of welcoming this much-needed support, however, Democrats are attacking the president. In fact, Gov. Newsom is suing the Trump administration to remove National Guardsmen from Los Angeles.

If Newsom and Democrats were actually concerned about restoring the rule of law, they would be thanking the president for sending support. But Democrats are once again siding with criminals over law-abiding citizens.

The images you see of barricaded streets, burning vehicles, looted storefronts — that’s what Democrats want. We saw this in 2020. They are on the side of criminals. They are on the side of violent rioters. They want lawlessness and chaos.

The American people, however, have had enough. They are tired of crime. They don’t want Tren de Aragua or MS-13 in their neighborhoods. They want them deported.

(Marsha Blackburn represents Tennessee in the U.S. Senate.)