Politicians' Misinformation Sparks Violence: How False ICE Raid Claims Led to Riots in Minneapolis and LA
A deep dive into how elected officials weaponized false information in their own backyards—while their constituents paid the price—and why no one's talking about it.
Let me start with something that should be obvious but apparently isn't: when you're an elected official, your words carry weight. Like, actual weight. The kind that can tip a peaceful situation into chaos, send people into the streets, and turn routine law enforcement operations into war zones.
Yet here we are in 2025, watching a politicians spread misinformation so recklessly that you'd think they were trying to start riots in their own districts. And honestly? Maybe they are.
How Political Misinformation Spread From Minneapolis to Los Angeles
Picture this: You're a state senator. You see federal agents conducting what appears to be an operation in your district. Do you:
A) Contact local law enforcement for accurate information B) Wait for official statements before commenting C) Immediately blast inflammatory claims on social media without verification
If you picked C, congratulations—you're Minnesota State Senator Omar Fateh, who also happens to be running for mayor of Minneapolis.
On June 3, 2025, Fateh spotted federal agents at a Mexican restaurant near Bloomington Avenue and Lake Street in Minneapolis. His immediate response? A Facebook post claiming: "On scene are DHS, ICE, FBI, Sheriffs, and MPD. No matter the reason, one thing is clear: this display of force is designed to strike fear at the very heart of MPLS. We stand in solidarity against it."
The problem? This wasn't an ICE immigration raid. It was a criminal investigation targeting a transnational organization involved in drug smuggling, money laundering, and human trafficking. Federal agents were executing search warrants as part of a broader investigation into serious criminal activity.
But by the time Sheriff Dawanna Witt held a press conference the next day to clarify that this was a criminal operation—not immigration enforcement—protesters had already confronted federal agents, obstructed operations, and created what officials described as "chaos for several hours."
Sound familiar? It should, because we saw the exact same playbook in Los Angeles.
The LA Home Depot ICE Raid That Never Happened
On June 7, 2025, Assemblymember José Luis Solache Jr. spotted Border Patrol vehicles near a Home Depot in Paramount and immediately began posting Instagram videos claiming ICE was conducting raids in his district. "This is horrible," he said in one post. "I am literally shaking."
Here's the kicker: There was never a raid at the Home Depot. Federal agents were simply staging at their office facility across the street—a routine operation at a building they use regularly.
But Solache's emotional social media posts spread like wildfire. Soon, protesters arrived, and what began as routine federal staging operations escalated into hours of violence, including burning vehicles, attacking law enforcement with rocks and fireworks, and ultimately requiring the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops.
Let me pause here for a reality check: I find it hard to believe these were accidental misunderstandings. They are elected officials with access to information, resources, and the ability to verify facts before broadcasting to thousands of followers. Instead of first verifying the information they chose to shoot first and ask questions later.
Real Violence, Real Consequences
The human cost of this political grandstanding is real. In Los Angeles, CHP officers were trapped under overpasses while rioters dropped rocks from above. Waymo vehicles were torched. At least three fires were set, including a car that burned in the middle of an intersection.
In Minneapolis, federal agents faced physical confrontations while trying to investigate serious criminal activity. The chaos disrupted a legitimate law enforcement operation targeting drug trafficking and money laundering.
And for what? So politicians could score points with their base by positioning themselves as resistance fighters against federal overreach?
The most infuriating part isn't just the misinformation—it's the pattern. In LA, these successful ICE operations had recently netted serious criminals, including Cuong Chanh Phan (convicted of second-degree murder), Lionel Sanchez-Laguna (multiple firearm and domestic violence convictions), and Jose Cristobal Hernandez-Buitron (robbery conviction, 10-year sentence).
These aren't the "hardworking families" politicians claim to be protecting. These are dangerous criminals who were successfully removed from communities. Yet the narrative became about oppressive federal agents rather than successful law enforcement.
ICE Agent Safety vs. Vandal Anonymity
Here's where things get really twisted. We've got House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries calling for the "unmasking" of ICE agents, while the same politicians who demand transparency for law enforcement remain silent about masked vandals torching cars and attacking officers.
ICE Director Todd Lyons made an emotional statement about agents being doxxed and their families targeted—a reality that makes masking a matter of officer safety, not Soviet-style oppression.
Think about this for a second: ICE agents mask up to protect their families from retaliation while enforcing federal law. Vandals mask up to avoid arrest while breaking federal law. Yet somehow, politicians and media treat these as morally equivalent.
The cognitive dissonance is irritating. The same people who spent years telling us that "words are violence" are now perfectly fine with actual violence—as long as it's directed at federal agents doing their jobs.
When Rhetoric Becomes Reality
We're witnessing the logical conclusion of years of escalating political rhetoric. When you spend months comparing political opponents to Nazis and calling law enforcement "fascists," don't act surprised when some people decide to act on those characterizations.
Governor JB Pritzker literally declared that "Republicans cannot know a moment of peace," while Governor Newsom positions Trump's deployment of National Guard troops as "manufacturing chaos." This isn't political discourse—it's incitement.
The pattern is clear: normalize extreme rhetoric, watch it manifest as violence, then claim plausible deniability when things get out of hand. We saw this playbook with campus antisemitism, Tesla vandalism, and now immigration enforcement.
Federal Immigration Enforcement vs. Sanctuary State Policies
Let's be clear about something: California's sanctuary state policies prohibit local agencies from assisting federal immigration enforcement, leaving ICE to rely on their own resources. When local politicians actively obstruct federal operations and then complain about federal intervention, they're essentially arguing that federal law shouldn't be enforced in their jurisdictions.
President Trump's deployment of National Guard troops under both Title 10 and Insurrection Act authorities has historical precedent—from Eisenhower's 1957 Little Rock integration enforcement to Bush's 1992 LA riots response. The legal authority is clear; the political opposition is strategic.
But here's what's really happening: Local politicians are using federal law enforcement as a punching bag to energize their base, consequences be damned. They're literally putting their own constituents in harm's way for political theater.
The Enforcement Reality Check
Have we forgotten what happened in 2020?
LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell warned that "generally, the second and third days are more violent" during civil unrest. We learned this lesson the hard way when cities burned while politicians hemmed and hawed about federal intervention.
Now we're supposed to believe that enforcing immigration law—law that was simply ignored for four years—is somehow more problematic than letting violent criminals roam free? The individuals arrested in these operations include murderers, armed felons, and drug dealers. These aren't immigration violations; these are dangerous criminals who happen to be in the country illegally.
The question isn't whether federal agents should enforce federal law. The question is how much chaos we're willing to tolerate from politicians who prefer virtue signaling to public safety.
Why Elected Officials Choose Outrage Over Fact-Checking
Here's what really gets me: These aren't random citizens reacting to incomplete information. These are elected officials with staff, resources, and direct lines to law enforcement agencies. Senator Fateh could have contacted local authorities for clarification. Assemblymember Solache could have verified whether actual raids were occurring.
Instead, they chose the path of maximum drama and minimum verification. Why? Because accuracy doesn't go viral. Outrage does.
When Sheriff Dawanna Witt held her press conference to correct the record, she specifically criticized elected officials for "highly irresponsible" misinformation that risked "inciting riots." Think about that: A law enforcement official had to publicly rebuke elected officials for endangering public safety with false information.
The Broader Pattern of Violence
This isn't happening in a vacuum. We're seeing a systematic pattern of left-wing political violence that includes Tesla showroom attacks, conservative swatting campaigns, and antisemitic terrorism targeting Jewish Americans. From Molotov cocktails thrown at Governor Shapiro's mansion to the assassination of Israeli embassy staffers in DC, the escalation is undeniable.
The same rhetorical framework that justifies attacking federal agents also justifies swatting conservative commentators and vandalizing Tesla dealerships. When you normalize violence against "fascists" and "Nazis," the definition of those terms tends to expand rapidly.
Where Do We Go From Here?
The solution isn't complicated, but it requires something our political class seems incapable of: basic honesty and accountability.
First, elected officials need to verify information before broadcasting inflammatory claims to thousands of followers. Revolutionary concept, I know.
Second, we need consistent standards for political violence. The same people who spent years condemning "violent rhetoric" from the right can't suddenly develop amnesia when violence comes from their side.
Third, law enforcement agencies—federal, state, and local—need to coordinate better and communicate more clearly with elected officials to prevent these information gaps from becoming flash points.
Finally, voters need to hold politicians accountable for misinformation that endangers public safety. When Senator Fateh's false claims about ICE raids led to confrontations with federal agents, or when Assemblymember Solache's Instagram videos sparked riots requiring National Guard deployment, there should be consequences.
Conclusion
We're watching elected officials weaponize misinformation in their own districts, then act shocked when violence erupts. They're prioritizing political theater over public safety, virtue signaling over truth, and resistance branding over actual governance.
The deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles wasn't "manufacturing chaos"—it was responding to chaos that local politicians helped create. The confrontations in Minneapolis weren't organic community resistance—they were the predictable result of false information spread by an elected official.
The fact is, misinformation from politicians leads to violence against law enforcement, which requires federal intervention, which provides more ammunition for political attacks. It's a cycle that benefits no one except politicians looking for their next viral moment.
And in the broader context of rising political violence across the spectrum, this kind of reckless rhetoric isn't just irresponsible—it's dangerous. When words become weapons and weapons become resistance, we've lost the plot entirely.
The question isn't whether federal agents should enforce federal law. The question is whether we're going to let politicians turn their own districts into battlegrounds for the sake of political points.
Based on recent evidence, the answer seems to be yes. And that should terrify us all.
FWIW: Progressives Are Letting The World Know That Anarchy, Violence Against Law Enforcement, and Chaos Rule The Day
https://torrancestephensphd.substack.com/p/progressives-are-letting-the-world