Mexico’s President, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, has addressed the mass protests against ICE occurring in the Los Angeles area, which are a response to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
During a press conference held on Monday, Sheinbaum denounced the acts of violence reported over the weekend in Los Angeles and urged for peaceful protests, as reported by Fox11.
“We do not condone violent actions as a means of protest. The act of burning police vehicles seems more like provocation than genuine resistance. We denounce violence, regardless of its source. We urge the Mexican community to respond peacefully and not to be provoked,” she stated.
She further mentioned that Mexico has activated consular services to guarantee that detained citizens receive legal representation and that their rights to due process are upheld, as noted by the outlet.
Just a day prior, Sheinbaum acknowledged the valuable contributions of Mexicans in Los Angeles, referring to them as “good, honest men and women who left in search of a better life for themselves and to support their families.”
“They are not criminals,” she asserted. “Los Angeles would not be what it is today without the Mexicans who reside there.”
Sheinbaum also expressed that Mexican migrants are welcome to return to their home country if they choose to do so.
“We advocate for a cessation of violence,” she emphasized. “Consuls have been directed to maintain communication with the 35 detained Mexicans and their families, and most importantly, to recognize the contributions of their fellow Mexicans in that region.”
The Mexican leader also stated that her nation would persist in its diplomatic initiatives on behalf of its citizens residing in the U.S.
“The Mexican government will continue to utilize all available diplomatic and legal avenues to convey its discontent through its consular network regarding practices that criminalize immigration and jeopardize the safety and welfare of our communities in the United States,” she remarked.
Interestingly, Sheinbaum did not acknowledge that Mexico has laws prohibiting illegal entry into the country, although these laws are not consistently enforced, as demonstrated by the millions who were permitted to pass through en route to the U.S. during President Biden’s tenure.
Furthermore, remittances — funds sent by Mexican nationals, both legally and illegally, working in the U.S. back to their families in Mexico — represent a substantial portion of the nation’s annual GDP. The latest statistics indicate that remittances constitute roughly 4.5 percent of Mexico’s GDP, making them the largest single source of foreign income.
In the meantime, conservatives criticized a California Democratic congressman on social media after he shared a message urging federal officers detaining illegal immigrants in Los Angeles to “get the f— out.”
“ICE get the f— out of LA so that order can be restored,” Rep. Norma Torres posted on TikTok Friday as protests and riots erupted in response to the raids.
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Conservatives on social media swiftly responded to the video, charging Torres, who was born in Guatemala and became a U.S. citizen in the 1990s, with inciting the violence and hostility directed at ICE officers that occurred in the following days.
“This is a sitting member of Congress,” conservative influencer account Libs of TikTok shared on X.
“Torres is a sitting member of Congress and utterly unhinged,” conservative influencer Paul Szypula remarked on X.
“Demonic possession,” stated White House director of communications Steven Cheung on X.