Los Angeles Taxpayers Hit With $32 Million Bill for Violent Anti-ICE "Protests"

Los Angeles taxpayers are now on the hook for over $32 million in damages, emergency response, and cleanup costs after a series of violent anti-ICE riots rocked the city — riots that many in the media and political circles still misleadingly label as “peaceful protests.”

City Controller Kenneth Mejia revealed the staggering figure in a report posted on X, outlining how the costs will drain local funds. According to Mejia, the massive bill includes millions spent on emergency services, law enforcement response, citywide tactical alerts, and the cleanup of widespread public property destruction caused by days of unrest.

A whopping $29 million — more than 90% of the total cost — is earmarked for the Los Angeles Police Department's extensive response to the riots. Another $1 million will go toward cleaning up the aftermath and repairing damaged public infrastructure.

Additional funds are being funneled to departments like the Los Angeles Fire Department, street services, general services, and even the city’s tourism office, all strained by the chaos.

Mejia also warned that these figures do not account for the inevitable legal expenses the city may face from lawsuits tied to the riots.

Despite media efforts to frame the unrest as “mostly peaceful,” the riots resulted in violent clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement over several days. The violence grew so severe that President Donald Trump deployed National Guard and active-duty military personnel to help restore order.

Among the arrests was Grzegorz Vandenberg, 48, who was charged with purchasing fireworks with intent to harm law enforcement officers and government officials. According to federal authorities, Vandenberg also bragged to store employees about his ability to make pipe bombs and expressed his plan to travel to Los Angeles to target officers during the riots.

The violence left nearly a dozen deputies injured, with rioters hurling rocks, Molotov cocktails, and “high-grade pyrotechnics” at police, according to Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert G. Luna.

Since June 7, the LAPD has made over 500 arrests related to the riots — a number that continues to climb.