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Trump administration sues Los Angeles over its sanctuary city policies
L.A. City Council unanimously voted in 2024 to establish Los Angeles as a “Sanctuary City”.
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Jacob Margolis
/
LAist
)
The Department of Justice is suing Los Angeles over its sanctuary city policies, alleging that the city’s laws “deliberately” obstruct federal immigration enforcement.
In the lawsuit filed Monday, the department blames the ordinance for why it deployed the National Guard and U.S. Marines.
“Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” Attorney General Pamela Bondi said in a statement.
L.A. declared itself a sanctuary city in 2019 and enshrined its policies into law last year. The declaration does not allow the city to cooperate with federal agents and prohibits federal agents from using city resources — staff and property — for immigration enforcement.
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“Trump is tearing families apart and he’s trying to force every city and town to help him carry out his white nationalist agenda,” L.A. City Council member Hugo Soto-Martinez said. “The lawsuit gets one thing right. We refuse to stand by and let Donald Trump deport innocent families. We’re going to do everything within our power to keep families together.”
L.A. City Council member Ysabel Jurado called the lawsuit baseless in a statement.
"(This) is just the latest political attack meant to scapegoat immigrant families, who continue to show extraordinary resilience in the face of relentless cruelty," Jurado said. "We will do everything in our power to ensure Los Angeles remains a place of refuge and dignity for all."
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass did not immediately respond to LAist’s requests for comment.
More from the lawsuit
The Department of Justice argues that the sanctuary policies violate the Constitution, and unlawfully regulates and discriminates against the federal government.
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The department is asking a judge to void the city's sanctuary policies by declaring them unlawful and unenforceable.
What are L.A.’s policies?
The city’s sanctuary laws prohibit the use of city resources for immigration enforcement.
The Los Angeles Police Department officers can’t question or detain people based on their immigration status. Officers also can’t hold people in jail past their release date at the request of ICE agents. Federal agents can’t use city services to access residents’ personal data.
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But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
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