From ABC News:
In a statement Saturday, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons faulted local officials, including LA Mayor Karen Bass, and police for their response to the situation on Friday evening.
"What took place in Los Angeles yesterday was appalling," Lyons said. "As rioters attacked federal ICE and law enforcement officers on the LA streets, Mayor Bass took the side of chaos and lawlessness over law enforcement."
Lyons' statement went on to say: "Our brave officers were vastly outnumbered, as over 1,000 rioters surrounded and attacked a federal building. It took over two hours for the Los Angeles Police Department to respond, despite being called multiple times. The brave men and women of ICE were in Los Angeles arresting criminal illegal aliens including gang members, drug traffickers and those with a history of assault, cruelty to children, domestic violence, robbery, and smuggling.
The LAPD issued a statement later on Saturday denying the ICE director's claims, saying its response was delayed, in part, because federal authorities had deployed chemical irritants into the crowd of protesters.
"Contrary to the claim that LAPD delayed its response for over two hours, our personnel mobilized and acted as swiftly as conditions safely allowed," the statement said. "Our response time was impacted by significant traffic congestion, the presence of demonstrators, and, notably, by the fact that federal agents had deployed irritants into the crowd prior to LAPD's arrival. This created a hazardous environment for responding officers. Within 55 minutes of receiving the call, we began to disperse the hostile and riotous crowd."
The LAPD reply sounds like they did slow walk their response. It isn't plausible LAPD doesn't have riot gear with protection for irritants.