Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum on Monday denounced acts of violence linked to widespread demonstrations in Los Angeles against the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown.
Speaking during her regular morning news conference, Sheinbaum called for respect for legal processes in immigration enforcement and asked U.S. officials to uphold the rule of law.
“We condemn violence wherever it comes from,” Sheinbaum said, per Reuters.
The protests erupted on Friday after Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted raids in the city and surrounding communities. Demonstrations were largely peaceful, but tensions flared Saturday and Sunday.
Police have reported 42 arrests after Sunday’s protests turned violent, including 19 by the California Highway Patrol, who were called to a demonstration that closed the 101 Freeway through DTLA for several hours.
Local and state leaders, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, have criticized President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard in trying to quell anti-ICE immigration, saying the escalation in force has led and will only lead to further trouble.
Newsom also announced plans to sue the Trump administration over the deployment.
Trump also indicated that he would be willing to bring in the U.S. Marines if he deemed the situation warranted it.