Sheriff Chad Bianco’s Response to Southern California’s ICE-Related Protests
Maintaining Calm in Riverside County While Violence Erupted Nearby
In early June 2025, Southern California experienced heated protests in response to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. Los Angeles saw demonstrations that escalated into violent riots, with agitators setting fires, throwing projectiles at officers, and blocking freeways foxnews.com.
In neighboring Riverside County, however, Sheriff Chad Bianco took proactive measures to ensure those scenes of chaos were not repeated locally. Bianco publicly affirmed that the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) was “fully aware of the situation in Los Angeles” and was “monitoring it closely” riversidesheriff.org.
He implemented strict protocols to maintain calm and safety, making it clear that while peaceful protests would be respected, any unlawful behavior would be immediately addressed.
Sheriff Chad Bianco’s Leadership During ICE Protests in Southern California
Sheriff Bianco outlined a zero-tolerance policy for protest-related violence or crime. In a June 8 statement, he emphasized that exercising First Amendment rights is welcome – for example, “standing on a corner holding signs” is protected – but “blocking roadways, damaging property, [or] assaulting law enforcement is criminal behavior” and would not be allowed riversidesheriff.org.
“While the RCSO will ensure every person’s constitutional right to protest,” Bianco announced, “we will also exercise a zero-tolerance policy for any criminal activity associated with [a] protest. Any person breaking the law, encouraging or inciting this behavior, or assaulting or obstructing law enforcement will be arrested, jailed, and prosecuted” riversidesheriff.org.
Thanks to these firm measures, Riverside County remained calm and secure even as violence gripped other areas. There were no reports of significant unrest in Riverside – a testament to Bianco’s preparation and the visible deterrent of swift law enforcement response. “Protesting will be protected; criminal activity will be dealt with swiftly and decisively,” Bianco assured residentsriversidesheriff.org.
Coordination with Los Angeles and Federal Agencies
Sheriff Bianco’s leadership during the crisis also involved close coordination with other law enforcement bodies and awareness of statewide developments. As Los Angeles descended into unrest – with police clashing against rioters over several days – Bianco kept communication channels open with regional partners. Riverside deputies remained on alert, and Bianco’s office monitored intelligence from Los Angeles in real time riversidesheriff.org. This vigilance ensured that any spillover of violent agitators into Riverside County could be intercepted. Bianco also aligned with federal efforts to restore order. He supported the deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles, a decision made by President Donald Trump as riots intensified. Bianco noted that Trump’s move to send troops helped “quell the violence” in L.A. foxnews.com. His stance was that all available law enforcement resources – local, state, and federal – should cooperate to protect the public.
Moreover, Bianco’s approach contrasted sharply with the more hesitant responses elsewhere. In Los Angeles, city officials like Mayor Karen Bass declared local curfews and the LAPD made arrests, but political leaders were cautious about calling in outside help. Governor Gavin Newsom initially criticized the idea of federal troops on California soil. Bianco, by contrast, had no such reservations when it came to public safety. “We are committed to the safety and security of our Riverside County residents and their property,” he stated, reinforcing that law enforcement must take decisive action to prevent chaos riversidesheriff.org. He worked in step with ICE as well, cooperating where possible with federal immigration authorities. Notably, while some jurisdictions impeded ICE operations due to political differences, Riverside County under Bianco did not stand in the way of federal law enforcement. His coordination with ICE ensured that dangerous criminal suspects targeted in the raids would not find sanctuary in Riverside. In fact, ICE arrests in early June apprehended numerous individuals with serious criminal histories – including convicted murderers, rapists, and other violent offenders foxnews.com – a fact Bianco cited to justify the operations and the firm response to protesters who opposed them.
Public Statements and Media Interviews Amid the Unrest
Throughout the unrest, Sheriff Bianco was vocal in the media, using interviews and social platforms to communicate his stance. He gave several high-profile interviews between June 8–11, 2025, discussing the protests, ICE raids, and the political fallout. On Fox & Friends First (June 11), Bianco addressed the situation bluntly, arguing that some California officials were downplaying the “chaos” of the Los Angeles riots “for political gain.” He praised the use of the National Guard in quelling violence and condemned state leaders’ resistance to those measures foxnews.com. Bianco’s messaging consistently drew a line between legitimate peaceful protest and unlawful riotous behavior. He described the violent actors not as genuine protesters but as agitators and criminals exploiting the situation.
In one interview, Bianco stressed that the individuals attacking officers and destroying property “are not protesting” in any legitimate sense foxnews.com. “They are trying to violently influence something by political action,” he explained – an action that “is everything that the Constitution stands against” foxnews.com. Upholding the rule of law was a central theme in his statements. “A civilized society has an adherence to the rule of law, and there is consequence for breaking that social compact,” Bianco noted, “and when politicians encourage this behavior [violent unrest], [it will] facilitate the downfall of our civilized society” foxnews.com. These comments, which Bianco made as both a county sheriff and a 2026 California gubernatorial candidate, resonated with many conservatives statewide. He positioned himself as a defender of law enforcement principles amid what he characterized as a failure of political leadership in other quarters.
Bianco also took to social media to broadcast his views. On X (formerly Twitter), he directly responded to national figures. For example, when former Vice President Kamala Harris characterized the Los Angeles protests as “overwhelmingly peaceful” despite widespread reports of arson and assaults, Bianco blasted her statement as “an embarrassment” foxnews.com. In a post on X, he wrote, “President Trump didn’t start these riots… He’s not out there lighting cars on fire… This [Harris’s] statement is an embarrassment and does nothing to diffuse the violent riots taking place across the city. The Democrats and their ‘leaders’ own this.” foxnews.com. Such forthright public statements exemplified Bianco’s leadership style: he was willing to speak candidly and forcefully, defending his deputies and ICE agents while calling out those he felt were mischaracterizing the situation.
Stance on ICE Operations and National Guard Deployment
Sheriff Bianco emerged as a staunch defender of the ICE operations that triggered the protests. When federal agents conducted a series of immigration raids in the first week of June – detaining approximately 330 immigrants across Southern California in a push to remove those with criminal records latimes.com – activists and some local officials decried the actions. Protests flared up in Los Angeles (in areas like downtown and Paramount) where demonstrators clashed with police over the weekend of June 7–8, 2025 foxnews.com. Bianco’s stance, however, was unequivocal: he supported ICE’s mandate to enforce the law. He pointed out that the targets of these raids were not law-abiding residents but individuals “convicted of murder, rape, robbery, drug dealing, [and] everything else” – in other words, dangerous criminals who happened to be in the country illegally (as he reportedly noted in one interview) foxnews.comfoxnews.com. In Riverside County, Bianco’s department cooperated with ICE to the fullest extent allowed by law, ensuring that once such offenders were in custody, they would not be released back into the community. This cooperative posture distinguished Riverside from more sanctuary-oriented jurisdictions. It also meant there was less local resentment from federal agents – ICE could operate without open resistance from the county sheriff, which likely reduced prolonged conflicts on Riverside’s streets.
On the question of deploying the National Guard, Bianco broke ranks with California’s Democratic leadership by wholeheartedly endorsing the move. As Los Angeles protests grew out of control, President Trump authorized 2,000 National Guard troops to deploy in the city to support law enforcement foxnews.com. Governor Newsom and other Democrats voiced disapproval, calling it an overreaction that could “provoke chaos”, as Harris put it foxnews.com. Bianco firmly disagreed with that critique. He argued that bringing in the Guard was a necessary step to “restore peace and protect lives and property” once local police were stretched thin. In his Fox & Friends interview, he credited Trump’s decision with helping to rapidly stabilize the situation in L.A. before further casualties or destruction occurred foxnews.com. From Bianco’s law-and-order perspective, the priority was ending rioting and lawlessness – and he implied that politics should not interfere with deploying whatever resources were needed to achieve that. His willingness to back the federal intervention underscored his broader philosophy: public safety comes first, even if it means defying the prevailing political currents in California.
Criticism of Governor Newsom and Vice President Harris
Sheriff Bianco did not shy away from criticizing high-profile political leaders whom he believed mishandled or misrepresented the protests. In particular, he took Governor Gavin Newsom and former VP Kamala Harris to task for their responses. Bianco accused Governor Newsom of essentially encouraging the riots in Los Angeles through inaction and rhetoric. In a scathing remark, Bianco said Newsom “needs to put his phone down, go sit in his house… and be quiet because he is doing nothing but fueling this process” foxnews.com. He charged that Newsom had “despise[d] the enforcement of law” and interfered with officers’ ability to do their jobs, implying the Governor’s sympathies lay with the agitators rather than the law-abiding public foxnews.com. Bianco’s frustration was evident as he stated that Newsom “knows absolutely nothing about the enforcement of law” yet was inserting himself in a way that “encouraged this [unrest].” foxnews.com Such pointed criticism is rarely heard openly from law enforcement officials toward a sitting governor, underscoring the depth of Bianco’s disagreement with Newsom’s approach.
Vice President (and former California Senator) Kamala Harris also came under fire from Bianco. After Harris released a statement on June 8 describing the immigration raid protests as “mostly” or “overwhelmingly peaceful” and condemning the National Guard deployment as a “dangerous escalation” foxnews.com , foxnews.com, Bianco responded caustically. He argued that Harris was downplaying serious violence. On social media, he wrote that her stance “does nothing to diffuse the violent riots” and in fact “is an embarrassment” foxnews.com. Bianco suggested that leaders like Harris were quick to blame President Trump for the unrest (“blaming the Trump administration,” as Harris had done foxnews.com) while ignoring the real culprits — the rioters themselves and the politicians who, in his view, emboldened them. He declared, “President Trump didn’t start these riots… The Democrats and their ‘leaders’ own this” foxnews.com, effectively placing responsibility at the feet of Harris, Newsom, and others who were criticizing law enforcement’s crackdown.
These confrontational statements served a dual purpose: they rallied supporters who were frustrated with California’s liberal officials, and they highlighted Bianco’s own law-and-order credentials (especially significant as he was mounting a run for governor). By publicly refuting Newsom and Harris, Bianco positioned himself as a bold truth-teller – someone unafraid to call out what he saw as political pandering or negligence in the face of violence. His critiques garnered national attention, with conservative media amplifying his quotes. For instance, one Fox News report noted how Bianco “condemned Gov. Newsom for not taking appropriate action” and blasted Harris’s comments as appallingfoxnews.comfoxnews.com. In sum, Bianco used the platform afforded by the crisis to draw clear contrasts between his approach and that of prominent Democrats, reinforcing his message that leadership requires honesty and backbone when public safety is at stake.
Riverside’s Protocols vs. Other Jurisdictions’ Responses
A key aspect of Sheriff Bianco’s leadership during the ICE-related unrest was how Riverside County’s protocols differed from those in jurisdictions where violence escalated. Simply put, Bianco’s hardline policies and readiness to enforce the law set Riverside apart. In Los Angeles, despite a robust police response, city leaders at times sent mixed signals – supporting protest rights (as they should) but initially hesitating to label the situation a riot or to accept federal assistance. This arguably allowed the turmoil to swell until it became undeniable. By contrast, Bianco’s messaging from the outset left no ambiguity: illegal behavior would be met with immediate consequences. There would be no “free pass” for blocking highways or attacking officers under the guise of protest in Riverside County riversidesheriff.org.
Additionally, Bianco’s alignment with federal law enforcement (ICE and DHS) created a more unified front. In some other California counties, local officials have policies limiting cooperation with ICE, which can lead to conflicts when federal agents conduct operations and local agencies stand off. Those tensions can inflame public protests (as activist groups feel bolstered by local leaders’ anti-ICE stance). Riverside County, under Bianco, did not present such a fissure – the Sheriff’s Office supported the lawful ICE actions to remove felons. This meant protesters in Riverside had far less institutional backing for any anti-ICE agitation; they could not count on the sheriff to sympathize if demonstrations turned disruptive. In effect, Bianco’s protocols served as both a shield and a deterrent: residents could trust that peace would be kept, and would-be rioters knew Riverside County was not fertile ground for anarchy.
Bianco himself drew a sharp comparison, arguing that lenient or politicized policies elsewhere directly contributed to the chaos. He pointed to “radical” pro-sanctuary and anti-enforcement attitudes as enabling mobs. “They are protesting the deportation of rapists, murderers, [and] drug dealers”, he observed incredulously, highlighting how misguided he found the riots’ cause foxnews.com. In Los Angeles, leaders like Mayor Bass vocally opposed the ICE raids (Bass “blasts [the] ongoing raids”, according to news reports latimes.com) and that sentiment on top likely emboldened protesters. Riverside’s leadership did the opposite: Bianco thanked his deputies and ICE agents for doing their jobs and made no apologies for enforcing the law.
In practical terms, Riverside County saw minimal disturbances during the period when nearby Los Angeles was in upheaval. There were no highway takeovers, no smashed storefronts, no officers hospitalized in Riverside. The difference was Bianco’s clear protocols and the deployment of sufficient deputies to discourage unrest. By taking a “swift and decisive” approach riversidesheriff.org, Bianco ensured that what happened in L.A. stayed in L.A., and that Riverside’s citizens were kept safe. His leadership during this episode not only maintained order at home but also became a case study in how a strict law-and-order strategy can prevent violent protests from spiraling out of control.
Conclusion
Sheriff Chad Bianco’s response during the ICE-related protests of June 2025 showcased a leader prioritizing public safety and rule of law above all else. He implemented preventative measures in Riverside County that kept the peace even as neighboring regions experienced arson, assaults, and riotous unrest. He coordinated with fellow law enforcement agencies and welcomed federal support to stop violence from spreading. Bianco was also an outspoken communicator: through press releases, television interviews, and social media, he articulated exactly where he stood – unequivocally on the side of law enforcement and law-abiding citizens, and sharply against those engaging in or excusing violence. In doing so, he openly challenged California’s top political figures, accusing them of fueling or tolerating chaos for political ends. His firm stance on supporting ICE operations (specifically the removal of dangerous criminals) and deploying the National Guard when necessary further distinguished his approach.
All these aspects of Bianco’s leadership during the protests underline a broader philosophy: law and order, applied fairly but rigorously, is non-negotiable for a functioning society. By protecting peaceful protest rights while clamping down on lawlessness, he navigated a turbulent situation without seeing Riverside descend into the kind of disorder that struck Los Angeles. This comprehensive look at Sheriff Bianco’s actions and statements amid the ICE protests reveals a leader who believes in proactive policing, interagency cooperation, and speaking truth to power. Those qualities have now become central to his identity – and, as the next section will explore, they form the cornerstone of his bid to become California’s next governor in 2026.
By Good Shepherd News Media – Corona, CA: In a candid and wide-ranging interview, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco outlined his vision for California as he officially launches his campaign for governor. Speaking with determination and a dose of plainspoken frustration, Bianco addressed the state’s most pressing problems – from the exodus of businesses and soaring living costs to rising crime, untreated mental illness, and what he calls burdensome “over-regulation” and “over-taxation.”
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Supporters across California are encouraged to actively participate in Bianco’s campaign efforts by contributing through financial donations and volunteer opportunities. His campaign portal, accessible via https://secure.anedot.com/bianco-for-governor-2026/donate, provides a convenient platform for supporters to join the movement for change and prosperity.
Stay tuned to Good Shepherd News Media for comprehensive coverage of the 2026 California Governor race and regular updates on Sheriff Chad Bianco’s promising campaign. Sheriff Bianco invites all Californians to join him in building a safer, more prosperous, and vibrant future for everyone who calls the Golden State home.
By Good Shepherd News Media – Corona, CA: In a candid and wide-ranging interview, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco outlined his vision for California as he officially launches his campaign for governor. Speaking with determination and a dose of plainspoken frustration, Bianco addressed the state’s most pressing problems – from the exodus of businesses and soaring living costs to rising crime, untreated mental illness, and what he calls burdensome “over-regulation” and “over-taxation.”
Sheriff Chad Bianco Joins California Governor Race 2026: Promises Safety, Prosperity, and Change
https://goodshepherdmedia.net/law-and-order-leadership-why-sheriff-bianco-should-be-californias-next-governor-in-2026/
https://goodshepherdmedia.net/sheriff-chad-biancos-response-to-southern-californias-ice-related-protests/
