The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Sunday removed and apologized for its social media post sympathizing with the “victims and families impacted” by the U.S.’s strike on Iran’s nuclear sites, which were bombed Saturday night.
The original post stated, “Our hearts go out to the victims and families impacted by the recent bombings in Iran,” as seen in a screenshot posted by Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin on Sunday night.
“While this tragic event occurred overseas, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department is closely monitoring the situation alongside our local, state, and federal partners,” the post continued.
“The department eventually amended the post, which deleted the sentence regarding the U.S. strikes before it was removed from X altogether,” Fox News reported. The department issued an apology on Sunday night for the “offensive and inappropriate social media post.”
“This post was unacceptable, made in error, and does not reflect the views of Sheriff Robert G. Luna or the Department,” the apology said. “As a law enforcement agency, we do not comment on foreign policy or military matters. Our mission remains solely focused on protecting public safety and serving our diverse communities.”
The apology statement also says the department has “launched an internal review to determine how [the original post] was created and published.”
The department’s post comes soon after violent anti-immigration enforcement riots broke out in L.A. President Trump sent National Guard troops and Marines to L.A. amid the violence, a response that Democrat officials like Mayor Karen Bass, Gov. Gavin Newsom, and LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell pushed back against.
[READ: Federal Judge In California Remains At The Ready To Wrest Control Of National Guard From Trump]
In a June 6 X post, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said immigration enforcement is the responsibility of federal law enforcement, “not the Sheriff’s Department.”
“We deeply value diversity, inclusion, and public trust within our communities … the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department will respond, investigate, and protect everyone – regardless of a person’s legal status,” he wrote.
Fox News reported Sunday that nearly half of the over 1,500 Iranian nationals who illegally entered the U.S. during the Biden administration were released back into the country, citing a senior U.S. Customs and Border Protection source.
On Monday, two days after the U.S. bombed Iran’s nuclear sites, Trump announced a “complete and total ceasefire” between the United States, Israel, and Iran.
Abigail Nichols is a correspondent for The Federalist. She was previously the opinion editor for the University of South Florida’s student newspaper, The Oracle. She is now working as the business manager at the University of North Florida’s student-run media outlet, Spinnaker Media, while obtaining a Master’s Degree in Social work.
