Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass stood alongside more than 30 Southern California mayors on Wednesday, calling for an immediate halt to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids across the region. The united front comes as armed federal forces expand their crackdown on immigration beyond downtown Los Angeles into multiple counties.
During a press conference, Mayor Bass expressed deep concern over the escalating situation. “Everything was peaceful in the city of Los Angeles and other cities in the region a week ago, but the enforcement operations conducted by ICE and other federal agencies have caused huge unrest since then,” she said.
Bass attributed the current “unacceptable” circumstances to political motivations, stating, “This was provoked by the White House. When you raid workplaces, tear parents and children apart, and run armored caravans through our streets, you’re not trying to keep anyone safe. You’re trying to cause fear and panic.”
The coalition of mayors also urged the withdrawal of federalized National Guard troops and Marines from the region. Initially deployed to secure federal buildings, National Guard troops are now assisting ICE agents during raids, marking a significant expansion of their mission.
The crisis has intensified over the past week, with more than 400 people arrested across Southern California, according to Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reports. The LAPD made 225 arrests on Tuesday alone, including charges for failing to disperse and curfew violations. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that 330 immigrants have been detained since Friday, with 157 individuals facing assault and obstruction charges.
Federal prosecutors have filed serious charges against two men accused of attempting to throw Molotov cocktails at law enforcement during demonstrations. Emiliano Garduno Galvez, 23, of Paramount, and Wrackkie Quiogue, 27, of Long Beach, face charges of possession of an unregistered destructive device, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
In a dramatic incident on Wednesday morning, immigration enforcement officers in unmarked vehicles rammed a sedan in the Boyle Heights neighborhood before extracting the driver at gunpoint. The LAPD is investigating the event as a possible hit-and-run after federal agents allegedly left the scene.
The unrest has spread rapidly across the region’s diverse counties. In Orange County, approximately 200 protesters clashed with federal agents outside immigration offices in Santa Ana. ICE agents conducted raids at multiple locations, including home improvement stores, arresting several individuals, according to local advocacy groups.
Ventura County’s agricultural areas became another flashpoint when ICE agents pursued farmworkers in Oxnard, as reported by the United Farm Workers Foundation. “The operations are a campaign of fear against people whose only crime is living and working in the U.S.,” said Daniel Larios of the foundation.
Enforcement actions have also targeted workplaces across Los Angeles and Orange counties, with dozens of workers detained. In San Bernardino County, over 300 people marched peacefully, demanding due process for detained immigrants.
Mayor Bass imposed an emergency curfew covering parts of downtown Los Angeles after multiple businesses were looted. Declaring a local emergency, she stated that the city had reached “a tipping point.”
