By President Donald Trump said Saturday that the federal government will withhold assistance from Democratic-led cities experiencing protests or riots tied to immigration enforcement unless local officials formally request help.
In a Truth Social post, Trump said he had directed Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem to ensure that federal authorities do not intervene in what he described as “poorly run Democrat Cities” facing “Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help.”
Trump drew a sharp distinction between local unrest and federal responsibilities, emphasizing that federal property would remain under aggressive protection regardless of whether local leaders seek assistance. He said authorities would “guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators, and Insurrectionists.”
The president said he had issued direct instructions to immigration enforcement agencies to act decisively in protecting federal assets. “Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property,” Trump wrote. “There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors. If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence.”
Trump pointed to a recent incident in Eugene, Oregon, as an example of what he described as local law enforcement failure. “Last night in Eugene, Oregon, these criminals broke into a Federal Building, and did great damage, also scaring and harassing the hardworking employees,” he wrote. “Local Police did nothing in order to stop it. We will not let that happen anymore!”
While warning against federal intervention without invitation, Trump said assistance would be swiftly provided if requested by local or state officials, explained Fox News. He cited past precedent, stating that federal forces would respond “very easily and methodically, just as we did the Los Angeles Riots one year ago, where the Police Chief said that, ‘We couldn’t have done it without the help of the Federal Government.’”
Trump stressed that responsibility for protecting local and federal property ultimately rests with state and municipal governments, including courthouses, buildings, and parks. He added that officials seeking federal aid should make their requests explicitly and courteously. “To all complaining Local Governments, Governors, and Mayors, let us know when you are ready, and we will be there — But, before we do so, you must use the word, ‘PLEASE.’”
In closing, Trump reaffirmed his administration’s broader law enforcement priorities. “Remember that I stated, in the strongest of language, to BEWARE—ICE, Border Patrol or, if necessary, our Military, will be extremely powerful and tough in the protection of our Federal Property,” he wrote. “We will not allow our Courthouses, Federal Buildings, or anything else under our protection, to be damaged in any way, shape, or form. I was elected on a Policy of Border Control (which has now been perfected!), National Security, and LAW AND ORDER—That’s what America wants, and that’s what America is getting!”
The remarks follow a wave of recent anti-ICE demonstrations in cities including Los Angeles and Eugene, where leftwing activists have clashed violently with law enforcement. The protesters were not just protesting ICE, they were demanding that no borders be enforced at all, chanting, “From Palestine to Mexico, all borders walls have got to go.”
This is what we get, since the theater kids have nowhere to go now that AI can make great movies.
LA Protests have got to be the most considerable theater troop in America, ready to
Monologue and crunk dance at any given second.— Derek O'Shea (@DerekOsheaShow) February 1, 2026
It should be remembered that the federal government is not asking that local law enforcement help ICE arrest undocumented criminals. They simply want undocumented criminals they happen to arrest to be turned over to them for deportation and have asked local municipalities to help with crowd control after liberals protest it.
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