Opposition from Los Angeles officials to immigration enforcement operations from the Trump administration is moving into the courtroom.
Democrat L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said the city was filing a lawsuit seeking an injunction to stop the federal operations on the basis that they are “unconstitutional” and “unlawful.” The action involves several other cities as well.
‘I’m clear about my job, which is to make sure this city is safe for all Angelinos, regardless of when you came here, what country you came from, or why.’
“I just finished working with the city attorney to file a lawsuit because we have to stop this mess,” said Bass in a video posted to social media.
She went on to specifically state that her job is to protect all residents, including illegal aliens.
“Our city attorney is leading the way; we’re filing a lawsuit. We’re calling for an injunction for this to stop,” she added. “We need to remember who we are as a country; I’m very clear as to who we are as a city. And I’m clear about my job, which is to make sure this city is safe for all Angelinos, regardless of when you came here, what country you came from, or why.”
The event that ostensibly propelled Bass into the lawsuit was the appearance of federal troops at the famed MacArthur Park on Tuesday. Bass rushed to the scene and berated federal troops before they eventually left. Local news outlets said no one was arrested or detained.
“You know, the idea of having troops go through the park and disrupt the children’s summer camp, or drive through the streets and just pick people off the streets, we don’t know if a kidnapping is happening or what,” said Bass in her video.
RELATED: LA Dodgers say they blocked ICE agents at stadium after campaign to pressure team to condemn deportations
She was referring to several incidents where criminals have dressed up like federal law enforcement officials in order to rob businesses and others. Critics say that federal officials hiding their identities during operations is leading to abuses, but the Trump administration has accused Democrats of trying to place those officers in danger.
The lawsuit was first filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other activist groups. It alleges that the federal operations have violated the due process rights of migrants and accuses officials of unlawfully targeting Los Angeles residents based on perceived race and ethnicity.
The other cities seeking to join the lawsuit are Montebello, Culver City, Monterey Park, Pasadena, Pico Rivera, Santa Monica, and West Hollywood.
RELATED: Border Patrol chief has defiant message for Mayor Karen Bass after she claims to have stopped ICE raid in Los Angeles
Photo by MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
The Trump administration has already filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles seeking to end its opposition to the raids.
“Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in June. “Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level — it ends under President Trump.”
The funding allocation for immigration enforcement was drastically increased in the recently passed Republican bill, meaning that deportation efforts are likely to escalate greatly.
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