At least 600 patient appointments were cancelled at the Los Angeles Ambulatory Care Center this week because of protests and violence in the city, and Veterans Affairs officials are asking local leaders to take steps to secure the area to prevent future care disruptions.
In a letter to Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, VA Secretary Doug Collins said appointments at the medical site were cancelled for this entire week “due to violent mobs rioting in support of illegal immigrants and against the rule of law.”
Officials also said the care center — which sits less than three miles from the city’s convention center — was vandalized with messages opposing President Donald Trump and his immigration enforcement policies during the protests.
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“Your city’s failure to maintain law and order in Los Angeles is coming between veterans and the health care they have earned,” Collins wrote.
City officials have imposed a curfew for the last two events to quell unrest, but they have also pushed back on Trump’s decision to employ military assets over the objections of state leaders, calling the moves an overreaction.
Los Angeles Police Department officials have said at least 160 people have been arrested since protests began on June 6, with the majority of that number coming last weekend. The immigration raids and federal response have now prompted additional protests in other cities nationwide.
In letters to Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom, Collins asked for plans to arrest and prosecute individuals involved in the VA clinic graffiti, as well as city funds to cover the cost of repairs. He also questioned the city’s ability to secure the area and prevent future problems there.
City officials did not provide an immediate public response to the requests.
In a social media post earlier this week, Collins said that the LA site will reopen “as soon as it is safe to do so.” Appointments at the facility have been rescheduled or shifted to telehealth.
Trump’s military deployments to the city are currently being contested in the courts, with conflicting rulings so far over his ability to override the wishes of Newsom.
Leo covers Congress, Veterans Affairs and the White House for Military Times. He has covered Washington, D.C. since 2004, focusing on military personnel and veterans policies. His work has earned numerous honors, including a 2009 Polk award, a 2010 National Headliner Award, the IAVA Leadership in Journalism award and the VFW News Media award.
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