Jesús Daniel Romero from Miami Strategic Intelligence Institute for Poder & Dinero and FinGurú
Introduction: From Legitimate Claim to Dangerous Sabotage
For decades, Mexican immigrants have sought to integrate into the United States while respecting its legal framework. However, recent protests in California, infiltrated by radicals displaying Hamas symbols, a terrorist organization designated by the United States since 1997 (U.S. Department of State, 2024), are sabotaging this cause. These demonstrations, originally linked to migrant rights, have been hijacked by extremists who divert attention from the majority will of Americans, who, with over 50% of the votes in the 2024 elections, supported a government committed to strict reforms against illegal immigration (White House, 2024). This organized chaos, amplified by violent attacks in the name of "Free Palestine," tarnishes the image of Mexican immigrants and challenges national sovereignty.
The Impact on the Mexican Immigrant Community
The radicalized protests, marked by violence and extremist symbolism such as that of Hamas, not only undermine the immigration jurisprudence that protects the sovereignty of the United States but also unjustly associate legal Mexican immigrants with chaos and illegality. The left exploits immigration laws to justify permissive policies that encourage confrontations, polarize society, and tolerate extremist narratives, such as those that have led to attacks in the name of "Free Palestine." For example, on June 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colorado, Mohamed Sabry Soliman, an Egyptian with an expired visa, attacked pro-Israeli protesters with incendiary devices, injuring 8-15 people while shouting "Free Palestine" (Reuters, 2025a). Days earlier, on May 21, 2025, an armed man killed two employees of the Israeli embassy in Washington, D.C., also invoking this slogan (ABC News, 2025). These acts:
- Fuel narratives in conservative media that erroneously link all immigrants with extremist violence, harming Mexicans who respect the laws and seek integration (Pew Research Center, 2024).
- Generate tensions on university campuses, where symbols of Hamas intimidate Jewish students, leading to FBI investigations and tarnishing legal immigrants' efforts to build bridges in academic spaces (ADL, 2024).
- Exploit the silence of some Hispanic leaders, allowing leftist and extremist agendas to dominate public discourse, eclipsing the millions of Mexicans who comply with the laws and contribute to the country's progress.
This manipulation of the migrant cause by radicals and their leftist allies, who use the rhetoric of "Free Palestine" to justify violence, betrays the sovereignty of the United States and the public mandate for an orderly immigration system.
Radicalization on the Streets: A Threat to Public Order
The presence of individuals with confrontational tactics, such as improvised shields and stone attacks against the police, is no coincidence. The Los Angeles police reported arrests and confiscations of materials during clashes at pro-Palestinian protests on May 8, 2024 (NBC News, 2024). Even more alarming is the use of Hamas symbols:
- Symbols linked to Hamas and Hezbollah, seen in protests in Los Angeles, are propaganda tools from Gaza now displayed on American streets (New York Post, 2024).
- These tactics, including coordinated formations and selective violence, suggest an attempt to train urban insurgency rather than civically protest, with the potential to amplify extremist narratives (FBI, 2024).
Amplified Chaos: Los Angeles Under Siege
Reports show Los Angeles on the brink of chaos, with radical militants setting properties on fire and attacking law enforcement during protests in May 2024 (Los Angeles Times, 2024). These riots included clashes involving tear gas. These actions, wrapped in foreign flags and symbols of Hamas, are not legitimate protests: they are acts of organized chaos that tarnish the image of Mexican immigrants and challenge the public mandate to reinforce security and control illegal immigration (Reuters, 2024).
The Irresponsibility of Newsom: Fanning the Flames of Disorder
California Governor Gavin Newsom, far from controlling the protests, has fanned the flames of conflict with rhetoric that challenges the federal government, elected by the majority of Americans to address illegal immigration. Newsom pledged to protect California's sanctuary policies against federal raids, labeling them "unjust" (CNN, 2024). This stance ignores episodes of violence, such as clashes with police in Los Angeles (Los Angeles Times, 2024), and reinforces the Trump administration's narrative that California is a bastion of crime incapable of maintaining order. Trump officials accused Newsom of failing to protect citizens from violence during protests (Fox News, 2024). By prioritizing confrontation with Trump over controlling the riots, Newsom projects an image of permissiveness that fuels those who see California as a refuge of disorder, contradicting the public mandate for security and immigration control (New York Times, 2024).
The Ambiguity of Sheinbaum: An Implicit Endorsement of Chaos
The President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum, has responded to migration tensions with a message that, while condemning violence, does not distance herself from the radicalized sectors that mix Mexican flags with symbols of Hamas. She stated that Mexicans in the U.S. are "honest workers" and that migration should be addressed through dialogue, not raids (Reuters, 2025b). This rhetoric, which avoids explicitly condemning extremist symbolism, can be interpreted as an implicit endorsement of uncontrolled protests, undermining the American effort to implement immigration policies supported by the majority. Analysts suggest that her stance aims to maintain nationalist support in Mexico but ignores the damage these disturbances cause to the image of the Mexican migrant (El Universal, 2024).
Conclusion: Recover the Migrant Cause, Honor the Public Mandate
The struggle of the Mexican immigrant cannot be hijacked by radicals who turn the streets into conflict zones. Latino leaders, civil rights advocates, and authorities must:
1. Condemn unequivocally the use of terrorist symbolism in migrant protests.
2. Reclaim the image of the Mexican immigrant as a law-abiding worker contributing to progress, not as a pawn in foreign conflicts.
3. Support the American public mandate for the restoration of public order and control of illegal immigration, isolating groups that promote violent causes.
The administration of President Trump and its law enforcement agencies have acted correctly by identifying the source of these threats, implementing decisive measures against organized chaos. The deployment of the National Guard under Title 10 of the U.S. Code, in support of federal agents and agencies' operations, is the right response to restore order and protect national sovereignty (Reuters, 2024). In this battle for the narrative, social cohesion and internal security in the United States are at stake. California must not be viewed as a bastion of crime, and its leaders must align with the will of the majority to uphold the law and protect the true essence of the legal immigrant community.
References
1. ABC News. (2025, May 21). Two Israeli embassy staff killed in D.C. https://abcnews.go.com/article/israel-embassy-shooting
2. ADL. (2024). 2024 Audit of Antisemitic Incidents. https://www.adl.org/resources/report/2024-audit-antisemitic-incidents
3. CNN. (2024, November 15). Newsom vows to protect California’s sanctuary policies. https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/15/politics/newsom-sanctuary-california
4. El Universal. (2024, October 10). Sheinbaum y la migración: Un equilibrio nacionalista. https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/opinion/sheinbaum-migracion
5. FBI. (2024). 2024 Domestic Terrorism Report. https://www.fbi.gov/file-repository/2024-domestic-terrorism-report.pdf
6. Fox News. (2024, December 20). Trump team slams Newsom’s immigration stance. https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-newsom-immigration
7. Los Angeles Times. (2024, May 12). LAPD clashes with protesters in downtown LA. https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2024-05-12/lapd-protest-clashes
8. NBC News. (2024, May 8). LAPD arrests dozens in UCLA protest. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/lapd-arrests-ucla-protest-2024
9. New York Post. (2024, May 3). Pro-Palestinian protests feature extremist symbols. https://www.nypost.com/2024/05/03/us-news/pro-palestinian-protests-symbols
10. New York Times. (2024, November 15). Trump’s border policies gain support. https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/15/politics/trump-border-policies
11. Pew Research Center. (2024). Media Coverage of Immigration in 2024. https://www.pewresearch.org/journalism/report/2024-immigration-media
12. Reuters. (2024). Trump deploys National Guard to border states. https://www.reuters.com/article/trump-national-guard-2024
13. Reuters. (2025a, June 2). Man attacks Colorado crowd with firebombs, 8-15 people injured. https://www.reuters.com/article/boulder-attack-2025
14. Reuters. (2025b, June 9). Mexico’s Sheinbaum condemns violence in U.S. protests. https://www.reuters.com/article/sheinbaum-us-protests-2025
15. U.S. Department of State. (2024). Foreign Terrorist Organizations. https://www.state.gov/foreign-terrorist-organizations/
16. White House. (2024, November 5). Executive Order on Immigration Enforcement. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/executive-orders/2024-immigration
Jesús Daniel Romero is a Retired Commander of Naval Intelligence of the United States. Co-Founder and Senior Fellow of Miami Strategic Intelligence Institute. Writer and columnist for Diario Las Américas in Miami. Permanent consultant to the media (radio, television, and print) on issues of his specialty.
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