Bass addresses Trump lawsuit: 'All-out assault against Los Angeles'

Mayor Bass responds to Trump's sanctuary city lawsuit

One day after the Trump Administration sued the city of Los Angeles, challenging the constitutionality of its "sanctuary city" policies, Mayor Karen Bass said Tuesday the legal action is part of an "all-out assault against Los Angeles" by the federal government, but she "won't be intimidated by these tactics."

LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass is responding to the Trump administration's recent lawsuit against Los Angeles over its sanctuary city policies.

Local perspective:

During a press conference on Tuesday, Bass called the legal action part of an "all-out assault against Los Angeles" by the federal government.

"I will always protect Angelenos against the unwarranted and cruel actions of this administration," Bass said.

"The city will stand strong and we will stand together," she added.

Additionally, Bass called the lawsuit "an attempt to overturn the will of the city, calling for a halt to long-standing policy to protect immigrant Angelenos," she said.

"We will defend our ordinance and continue to defend policies that reflect the long-standing values of our city."

Bass noted that the original intent of the sanctuary city policies was to boost public safety, "so the newly arrived immigrant population that was being preyed on by criminals would feel safe" reporting crimes to police.

She insisted the city would not back down from its stance, despite the federal lawsuit and ongoing immigration-enforcement raids in the city, which have been accompanied by the deployment of California National Guard troops and U.S. Marines -- actions Bass called intimidation tactics.

"I personally won't be intimidated by these tactics," Bass said. "We won't be intimidated by these tactics."

The city's sanctuary policies generally prohibit local resources -- most notably police officers -- from taking part in federal immigration enforcement efforts. The policies generally mirror state law that bars local cooperation with federal authorities except in cases involving serious or violent crimes.

Numerous other cities have also adopted sanctuary policies, including Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Ana and West Hollywood.

Trump has frequently criticized such cities, even threatening to withhold federal funding from local governments that adopt sanctuary policies.

What they're saying:

On Monday, the Trump administration announced it had sued the city of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, and the City Council over its "sanctuary city" policies.

The Trump administration alleges in federal court that the ordinance violates the Constitution by "thwarting" immigration enforcement.

The lawsuit contends that the sanctuary laws - in which local law enforcement officials refuse to assist immigration enforcement efforts - are illegal, and designed to "obstruct the federal government's enforcement of federal immigration law and impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe."

The lawsuit notes that President Donald Trump "campaigned and won the presidential election on a platform of deporting the millions of illegal immigrants the previous administration permitted, through its open borders policy, to enter the country unlawfully."

What this could mean for LA residents

What we know:

This lawsuit puts LA’s sanctuary city status in legal jeopardy.

If a judge sides with the Trump administration, city workers, including LAPD, could be forced to cooperate with ICE — sharing information, allowing access to detainees, or assisting with immigration enforcement.

Immigration raids could increase within city limits, even in places previously shielded under LA’s policy.

Local officials may lose the ability to set limits on federal operations — especially in city-run facilities like jails.

For now, LA’s ordinance still stands, but this case could reshape how immigration enforcement plays out on the ground — and how much protection undocumented residents can expect from local agencies.

What they're saying:

"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. "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."

Bill Essayli, U.S. Attorney in Los Angeles, said the lawsuit "holds the city of Los Angeles accountable for deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law."

"The United States Constitution's Supremacy Clause prohibits the city from picking and choosing which federal laws will be enforced and which will not," Essayli said in a statement. "By assisting removable aliens in evading federal law enforcement, the city's unlawful and discriminatory ordinance has contributed to a lawless and unsafe environment that this lawsuit will help end."

The Los Angeles City Attorney's Office issued a statement Monday saying, "The city of Los Angeles ordinance limiting the use of city resources for federal immigration enforcement was carefully drafted and fully complies with federal law and constitutional principles.

"The Constitution and federal law both allow the federal government to regulate immigration, but the reserved power of the state and the people including under the Tenth Amendment ensures our ability to defend the constitutionality of our ordinances and policies.

"Our city remains committed to standing up for our constitutional rights and the rights of our residents. We will defend our ordinance and continue to defend policies that reflect our longstanding values as a welcoming community for all residents," according to the statement.

Immigration crackdown continues

Dig deeper:

Federal agents continue to ramp up an immigration crackdown after receiving directives from Trump to set up their efforts in Democratic-run cities.

Those raids were preceded by Trump deploying thousands of additional National Guard troops to the area in response to massive anti-ICE protests across the region.

Gov. Gavin Newsom sued Trump over the move, and a lower court originally sided with Newsom, saying Trump's move was likely unconstitutional.

The recent anti-ICE protests in Los Angeles and Orange counties erupted following widespread anger over the agency's enforcement tactics that began on Friday, June 6.

In addition to downtown LA, Santa Ana also became a hot spot for demonstrators where some protesters have clashed with law enforcement.

SUGGESTED:

Community leaders reported incidents of ICE appearing at elementary school graduations, disrupting the legitimate immigration processes at various courthouses, and aggressively raiding workplaces and locations like Home Depot. These actions, perceived as arbitrary and invasive, sparked outrage among residents and galvanized the public into widespread demonstrations across Los Angeles County.

The Source: This report is based on information from a press conference held by Mayor Karen Bass on Tuesday, July 1, 2025, and details from the Trump administration's lawsuit filed against the City of Los Angeles on Monday, June 30, 2025. It also includes statements from Attorney General Pam Bondi, U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, and the Los Angeles City Attorney's Office, as well as publicly available information regarding Los Angeles's sanctuary city policies and recent federal immigration enforcement actions.

Immigration Donald J. Trump Karen Bass Los Angeles