Jun 10, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Schumer condemns "outrageous" violence in L.A. protests

Stephen Neukam

U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) speaks during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol on June 05, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kayla Bartkowski/Getty Images)

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Tuesday that violence in the Los Angeles protests against the White House's deportation program is "outrageous."

Why it matters: Democrats are walking a tightrope of pushing back against the deportations and encouraging peaceful demonstrations while also admonishing violence and crime.

Schumer said the violence "should never happen, full stop," at a weekly press conference in the Capitol on Tuesday.
But the Senate Democratic leader also criticized President Trump for deploying troops to Los Angeles: "It's not only provocative, it's not only dangerous, it really threatens the bedrock of our democracy."
The protests in California have spawned demonstrations against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) throughout the country.

The big picture: Schumer's party has faced internal criticism for not more forcefully condemning violence in the riots this week.

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) said on X on Monday that the riots are "anarchy and true chaos."
"My party loses the moral high ground when we refuse to condemn setting cars on fire, destroying buildings, and assaulting law enforcement," Fetterman said.

Go deeper: Trump using L.A. unrest to push his big bill in D.C.

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Schumer condemns "outrageous" violence in L.A. protests

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