() Former federal authorities say the unrest in Los Angeles over immigration raids could have been avoided with better planning by the Trump administration.
For the second straight day, protesters became locked in tense and sometimes violent confrontations with federal immigration authorities who rounded up suspected undocumented individuals. The White House labeled the standoff an “insurrection” on the part of demonstrators.
Jennifer Coffindaffer, a former FBI special agent, faulted protesters for confronting federal immigration authorities but suggests the raids that sparked the unrest could have been handled in a more low-key manner, much like the Feds handled the arrests of undocumented workers at airports after Sept. 11.
“We didn’t go in and arrest everyone at the airport,” Coffindaffer told “ Prime.” “We did our due diligence and found out work schedules, where these individuals lived and got them coming out of their homes, to avoid exactly what you’re seeing here.”
Coffindaffer said local police seemed to have been summoned as an afterthought, once the situation had devolved.
“You’re seeing, really, a disconnect between local authorities and federal authorities because they’re brought into this sort of at the last minute,” she said.
Better planning would have avoided ‘chaos’: Sheriff
Terrell County, Texas Sheriff Thaddeus Cleveland has been a staunch supporter of the Trump administration’s efforts to enforce immigration law.
But the former Border Patrol agent faults the Feds for the chaos that erupted in Los Angles, possibly because of top-down pressure from the White House.
“People are probably scrambling to make things happen. But I’ll tell you what: This much chaos in a community for 40 apprehensions doesn’t sound a whole lot like a big bang for the buck. It could have been, in my opinion, better planned to keep people safe,” he said.
Los Angeles County authorities declared Saturday’s demonstration an unlawful assembly. Reporters at the scene said police were firing tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse crowds.
