SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler Calls on Gov. Newsom to Request Disaster Declaration for Small Businesses Impacted by L.A. Riots

The Los Angeles riots may have died down some, but are continuing into the fifth day, no thanks to California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass who refused to call in the National Guard – even as police were attacked from overpasses with large rocks, their cars were set on fire, businesses were broken into and looted, Waymo self-driving taxis were destroyed and on fire. Even the Los Angeles police chief said his officers were overwhelmed. And Governor Newsom did nothing.

Gov. Newsom and Attorney General Rob Bonta announced Monday they are suing President Donald Trump for stepping in and federalizing the California National Guard.

“The streets of Los Angeles descended into chaos last night as masked rioters, fueled by anger over ICE raids, ransacked stores and restaurants, snatching cash registers in a scene that looks straight out of a dystopian movie,” Red State Nation reported with photos and videos.

Monday, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced that Marines from Camp Pendleton would be deployed to LA to assist restoring order:

Due to increased threats to federal law enforcement officers and federal buildings, approximately 700 active-duty U.S. Marines from Camp Pendleton are being deployed to Los Angeles to restore order. We have an obligation to defend federal law enforcement officers – even if Gavin Newsom will not.

Now, additional federal help is on the way:

Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration called on California Governor Gavin Newsom to request an SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Declaration to authorize the agency to begin delivering urgent assistance to small businesses across Los Angeles that have been ransacked by rioters since civil unrest began last week. The agency stands ready to deliver critical aid to innocent American victims – whose storefronts have been looted (Link is external) and destroyed (Link is external) by the migrant mob that is wreaking havoc in defense of criminal illegal aliens.

“We’re giving Gavin Newsom the opportunity to stop siding with criminal illegal aliens and start siding with law-abiding Americans – many of whom have lost everything to the violent and destructive riots across Los Angeles,” said SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler. “The migrant mob has looted stores, destroyed storefronts, and committed criminal acts of vandalism against our small businesses. Although local leaders are allowing Los Angeles to burn, federal partners are ready to help American citizens rebuild – and we will do so, as soon as the Governor answers their call for help.”

As we can see with our own eyes, many small businesses have been ravaged by rioters in Los Angeles – and they are mostly family Hispanic-owned businesses.

Notably, Administrator Loeffler also announced that Los Angeles SBA offices are being moved because of the danger of the riots:

“For the safety of employees and small business owners, Administrator Loeffler recently announced(Link is external) that SBA would be relocating its Regional Office out of Los Angeles due to the city’s refusal to cooperate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The Regional Office is located mere steps from the violence that continues to occur in downtown Los Angeles – and where U.S. Marines have been deployed(Link is external) to restore order.”

Administrator Loeffler announced in March that the SBA was instituting a new policy requiring SBA loan applications to include citizenship verification to ensure only legal, eligible applicants can access SBA programs. “Lenders will be required to confirm that applicant businesses are not owned in whole or in part by an illegal alien, consistent with President Trump’s executive order(Link is external) ending the taxpayer subsidization of open borders.”

Additionally, Loeffler in March announced plans to move regional SBA offices out of Sanctuary cities. With the LA riots, she added Los Angeles to the list and expedited the move.

The SBA Economic Injury Disaster Loans “will allow small businesses in Los Angeles to apply for low-interest, long-term loans of up to $2 million to help them rebuild following the catastrophic violence of this weekend. Given the urgency of the situation, the SBA is committed to approving any such disaster declaration as soon as it is submitted by Governor Newsom,” the SBA said.