US President Trump calls the demonstrators in Los Angeles insurrectionists. US Democratic representatives, however, accuse him and the administration of deliberately escalating the situation. Mexico is also criticizing US migration policy.

California congressmen have accused US President Donald Trump of inciting unrest in Los Angeles. With his order to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to the Californian metropolis, Trump is creating an artificial crisis, they said in Washington.

"This is a deliberate attempt by Trump to incite unrest, test the limits of executive power, and distract from the lawlessness of his administration," said Representative Jimmy Gomez in a press conference he organized at the U.S. Capitol.

Democrats: Trump wants escalation

Gomez's colleague Jimmy Panetta said Trump's decision to send the military was intended to"give him the image and the fight he wants."

Representative Nancy Pelosi compared Trump's actions to his handling of the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, in which police officers were also injured. At that time, Trump supporters stormed the building to prevent the certification of Democratic candidate Joe Biden's election victory."We begged the President of the United States to send in the National Guard. He wouldn't do it," Pelosi said.

Newsom counters US government accusation

California Governor Gavin Newsom also criticized Trump and the US government in this context."The only ones defending insurrectionists are you and @realDonaldTrump," the Democrat wrote on the online platform X in response to a post by Stephen Miller, US President Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff."Or do we pretend you didn't pardon 1,500 of them?" he added.

Newsom was referring to the fact that shortly after taking office, Trump had pardoned all supporters convicted of the attack on the Capitol. Among them were members of the far-right groups"Oath Keepers" and "Proud Boys," some of whom should have been serving long prison sentences. In total, more than 1,000 people were affected by the pardons.

Trump had previously referred to the demonstrators in California as"insurrectionists." Miller made similar comments. They accused Newsom of failing to take action against troublemakers during the protests against their immigration policies in Los Angeles.

Trump claims L.A. would burn down without his actions

Trump defended the deployment of soldiers in Los Angeles."If I hadn't sent the soldiers to Los Angeles the past three nights, this once beautiful and great city would now be burning to the ground," he wrote on the online platform Truth Social.

He compared this scenario to the burning of thousands of homes in the Los Angeles metropolitan area earlier this year. Trump blamed Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, accusing them of incompetence.

The devastating Eaton and Palisades fires razed entire neighborhoods in January. More than 16,000 buildings burned, and 30 people died.

Hegseth: Soldiers protect immigration authorities

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also defended the controversial deployment of National Guard and US Marines. The immigration enforcement agency ICE has the right to"operate safely" in every state in the country, he said at a hearing before a US House of Representatives committee. Under the previous administration, the agency was unable to do its job—and this applies not only to Los Angeles.

The Trump administration has deployed National Guardsmen and members of the regular armed forces to Los Angeles to protect ICE employees in the performance of their duties. He said the US should be able to enforce its immigration laws.

Mexico's president warns of violence at US demonstrations

Meanwhile, demonstrations against Trump's migration policy also took place in Mexico. According to the television station NMás, there were protests in front of the US Embassy in Mexico City. The events in Los Angeles sparked concern in the US's neighboring country. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum called on Mexicans living in the US to refrain from violence during protests against US migration policy."We appeal to the Mexican community to behave peacefully and not to fall prey to provocations," she said in a video posted on X.

Sheinbaum sharply criticized Trump's migration policy:"We disagree with these measures that violate the human rights of migrants, criminalizing them as if they were criminals," he said in a statement. The vast majority of Mexican citizens in the United States have valid papers, have lived there for many years, and contribute to the U.S. economy.

The issue of migration must be addressed from a"comprehensive and humane perspective," Sheinbaum continued. Mexico is ready to work with the U.S. government to seek solutions that"prioritize respect for human rights, the rule of law, and shared development."

In view of the ongoing protests in the USA, the Federal Foreign Office currently sees no reason for a travel warning for the USA or individual parts of the country."A travel warning is issued if there is a danger to life and limb," the German Foreign Ministry in Berlin said, according to the dpa news agency.

The travel and security advice for the USA generally advises people to check local media for information about the situation and to avoid crowds where violence could potentially occur, it added.

The Federal Foreign Office's travel and safety advice is continuously reviewed and adjusted where necessary. It is recommended to read the travel and safety advice for the destination country before every trip and to mark the destination country, for example, in the Federal Foreign Office's"Safe Travel" app. The travel and safety advice provides, among other things, advice on behavior and also includes developments in entry regulations. The Federal Foreign Office also recommends registering on the ELEFAND crisis preparedness list before traveling abroad.

Military action against protests in Los Angeles

The demonstrations in the US are directed against Trump's tough immigration policies. Increased ICE deployments sparked the first protests in the Los Angeles area at the end of last week. Since then, people have also taken to the streets in other US cities.

Trump will not tolerate the protests: At his direction, the US Department of Defense recently mobilized 2,000 additional National Guard troops and 700 Marines from the regular armed forces for deployment in Los Angeles. Just last weekend, in a highly unusual and controversial move, Trump mobilized 2,000 National Guard troops—against the wishes of California Governor Newsom.

The US Department of Defense estimates the cost of deploying National Guard and US Marines at $134 million (€117 million), as Pentagon representative Bryn MacDonnell said during questioning at a committee meeting in the US Congress.