Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove called for an investigation following a non-fatal shooting during a federal immigration-related traffic stop in South Los Angeles on Tuesday, Oct. 21.
During the stop, a popular TikTok creator, whom U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials say was an illegal immigrant who had previously escaped custody, allegedly rammed his car into law enforcement vehicles and tried escaping.
Officers fired weapons and hit the suspect in the elbow, according to DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. A U.S. marshal was also hit in the hand by a ricocheting bullet, she said.
The suspect and U.S. marshal were taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Los Angeles. (Courtesy photo)
By Tuesday afternoon, Kamlager-Dove, D-Los Angeles, had called for a further probe into what occurred.
“I am closely monitoring the situation in my district involving the shooting of a community member and a U.S. Marshal. While the full details are still emerging, I am deeply concerned about a pattern of immigration operations getting increasingly violent,” Kamlager-Dove said.
“I am calling for a full investigation —including the immediate release of all body and dash camera footage,” she added. “Transparency is essential to rebuilding trust and keeping our community safe.”
DHS officials, meanwhile, blamed “sanctuary politicians and activists” for what unfolded Tuesday.
“These are the consequences of conduct and rhetoric by sanctuary politicians and activists who urge illegal aliens to resist arrest,” said McLaughlin, who added that federal law enforcement officers have seen assaults directed at them increase more than 1,000%.
“We are once again calling on sanctuary politicians, agitators and the media to turn the temperature down and stop calling for violence and resistance against ICE law enforcement,” she said.
McLaughlin specifically called out Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, accusing both Democrats of previously sharing information with illegal immigrants about how to evade arrest.
Both Newsom and Bass have been critical of President Donald Trump’s administration for its immigration and mass deportation policies.
A spokesperson in the governor’s office, Diana Crofts-Pelayo, said in a statement Tuesday that Trump and DHS adviser Stephen Miller have disregarded due process “and even the safety of U.S. citizens and law enforcement” in their attempt to carry out the largest deportation effort in history.
“These aggressive arrests are a PR campaign, using fear and force,” Crofts-Pelayo said. “They want to manufacture chaos, then blame others. … Immigration law can be enforced without a message of terror,” she said.
The state of California has filed multiple lawsuits against the Trump administration related to immigration raids and the use of National Guard troop members.
And in July, Bass issued an executive directive for all city departments to ensure that they are compliant with L.A.’s sanctuary ordinance that prohibits the use of city resources and personnel in aiding federal immigration enforcement actions.
The mayor’s office did not respond to a message seeking comment for this article.
Originally Published: October 21, 2025 at 3:37 PM PDT