Mayor Bass signs executive directive to support immigrant communities amid ongoing raids
Supporting LA's immigrant neighborhoods
On Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive order that aims to protect the city's immigrant neighborhoods.
LOS ANGELES - On Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive directive aimed at supporting the city's immigrant neighborhoods. This comes in response to recent controversial immigration raids in Southern California, which have sparked outrage.
Details of the executive order
What we know:
Friday morning’s press conference took place at El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument, which is the birthplace of Los Angeles.
"There is a need for me to have an executive directive to help our city understand how to protect itself from our federal government," she said. "What we have seen here over the last, now six weeks of raids, that pop up and we never know exactly when and where they're going to happen."
She referenced this week's raids in Ventura County and MacArthur Park, calling them "a display of force just to put the city in its place."
"The directive will help city workers know how to address immigration officials should they approach a city department," she explained. Overall, Bass said the directive aims to help the city's workforce and Angelenos from the federal government in the event of an immigration enforcement operation. It also demands federal agencies to hand over raids in the city on when and where they happened, who was detained and how much it cost taxpayers.
Mayor Bass explains directive amid ongoing raids
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass explained her reasoning for signing a directive that aims to support the city's immigrant neighborhoods.
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The backstory:
Earlier this week, Bass condemned a recent immigration operation, describing it as a "military-style political stunt" that traumatized children attending summer camp. The operation, which involved armored vehicles, weapons, and horseback units, lasted about an hour and resulted in no arrests. City officials have criticized the operation as a reality TV spectacle.
Executive order to support immigrant communities
The dust is still settling from a day-long ICE raid and protest at a legal cannabis growing facility in Camarillo where dozens of workers were detained. Mayor Bass is set to announce an order that will protect immigrant communities.
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Meanwhile, federal agents conducted a raid at Glasshouse Farms in Camarillo on Thursday, leading to a clash with demonstrators. The Border Patrol served a warrant for hiring and harboring undocumented workers. During the chaos, tear gas was deployed, and a man attempted to stop an unmarked ICE vehicle by jumping on its hood. Protesters also confronted an ICE raid supporter, who was mobbed before driving away. Dozens of individuals were seen lined up against a wall at the facility, awaiting enforcement actions.
What they're saying:
Mayor Bass has been vocal in her opposition to the immigration raids, calling them unconstitutional and harmful to the community. A demonstrator at the Ventura County scene expressed concern for their mother, who works at the Glasshouse Farms facility, stating, "My mom was here and I tried to contact her, but she doesn't answer me."
Dig deeper:
The Trump administration has recently shifted its stance on the deportation of undocumented farm workers. In June, it was announced that ICE enforcement at farms would be paused to prevent crippling the nation's food supply. However, this decision was reversed days later, leading to renewed enforcement actions.
The other side:
Rodney Scott, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, issued a response to the raid in Ventura County on social media, saying ten minors were found working on the farm and that it's now under investigation for child labor violations.
The Source: The information in this article is sourced from direct statements made by Mayor Karen Bass during public addresses, eyewitness accounts from demonstrators at the scene in Ventura County, and official reports from Border Patrol and city officials. The details were gathered through live coverage and on-the-ground reporting, ensuring an accurate representation of the events as they unfolded.