MEXICO, June 14. /TASS/. The demonstration of a Mexican flag during protests against immigration policy in the United States amounts to a provocation seeking to tarnish the image of Mexico, President Claudia Sheinbaum told reporters.
"We believe that these images with the Mexican flag during the violence, especially this image of a man with a Mexican flag on a burning police car, are a provocation. Everything points to it being a provocation to create a certain image of Mexico," she said.
"There are many studies showing that the rate of offenses among undocumented migrants is minimal compared with violations committed by US citizens," the president said.
"This image that they want to spin - that Mexicans in the US are rapists - is false. It's contrived and provocative," she went on to say.On June 6, authorities started mass detentions of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles. By the evening of June 7, at least 44 people were detained on charges of violating immigration laws. That was followed by rallies, which turned into riots. US President Donald Trump ordered the deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles to quell the riots. California Governor Gavin Newsom sued Trump and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth afterward.