Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stood with a group of civic leaders on Thursday, expressing strong criticism of the federal government’s handling of recent anti-ICE protests. This event took place against a backdrop of police sirens in downtown Los Angeles, where protests had erupted over the past week in response to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
Mayor Bass, joined by faith leaders, business representatives, and immigrant rights advocates, defended the city’s management of the protests. She accused the Trump administration of falsely portraying Los Angeles as a city in chaos. “To characterize what is going on in our city as a city of mayhem is just an outright lie,” she stated, directly addressing comments made earlier by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
Bass reflected on her past collaboration with Noem, saying, “I do not recognize you. I do not know the Kristi Noem that I served with.” Noem had claimed that the Trump administration aimed to “liberate the city from the socialists” leading Los Angeles, a statement that Bass firmly rejected.
The mayor also condemned the brief detention of U.S. Senator Alex Padilla, who was forcibly removed from Noem’s press conference after attempting to ask questions. “They just shoved and cuffed a sitting U.S. senator. How could you say you did not know who he was?” Bass questioned.
The press conference highlighted the dual challenges Bass faces: ending the ICE raids that sparked the protests while addressing the vandalism and violence that have accompanied them. She renewed her call for the president to withdraw the National Guard and Marines from the city and announced an extension of the curfew in downtown Los Angeles from 8 p.m. to 6 a.m.
The protests began a week ago when ICE agents started conducting raids throughout the region, targeting workplaces, schools, and courthouses. This triggered widespread demonstrations across Southern California. Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, spoke at the event, describing the current situation as one of cruelty and violations of rights. “What has been brought to our city has been racial profiling in a way that I have never experienced it in my career,” she said.
Salas expressed the emotional toll on families affected by the raids, particularly children left behind. She emphasized that Los Angeles is a resilient city that will not accept the current situation.