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A Department of Veterans Affairs clinic in Los Angeles was forced to close temporarily following a weekend of violent protests that saw property damage and attacks on law enforcement, according to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins.
The decision came after demonstrators clashed with police and federal agents amid growing unrest tied to immigration enforcement actions in the city. President Donald Trump deployed National Guard troops on Sunday to help restore order and safeguard Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel carrying out federal directives.
“To ensure the safety of Veterans and employees, @DeptVetAffairs had to make the difficult decision to temporarily close its LA Ambulatory Care Center,” Collins said in a statement posted on X Monday afternoon.
“The clinic will reopen as soon as it is safe to do so, and in the meantime, in-person appointments at the facility are being rescheduled or shifted to telehealth,” he added.
Collins also shared an image of the clinic’s exterior, defaced with graffiti including profanity and threats directed at federal officials.
“To the violent mobs in Los Angeles rioting in support of illegal immigrants and against the rule of law – Your actions are interfering with Veterans’ health care,” he wrote.
President Trump has authorized the deployment of an additional 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles amid escalating protests over immigration enforcement, the Pentagon confirmed Monday. The move brings the total number of Guard members activated under federal orders to more than 4,100.
“‘If they spit, we will hit.’ This is a statement from the President of the United States concerning the catastrophic Gavin Newscum inspired Riots going on in Los Angeles. The Insurrectionists have a tendency to spit in the face of the National Guardsmen/women, and others,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Monday.
The order comes after approximately 700 U.S. Marines were sent to the city to support local law enforcement as demonstrations continued to intensify.
An initial wave of 2,100 National Guard troops was expected to be on the ground by Monday evening, though officials said it was unclear whether all had arrived as scheduled. According to the Pentagon, the newly deployed troops could take up to two days to reach the area due to the timing of the latest directive.