Mayor Karen Bass and city religious leaders are taking the lead in both a public protest and a congressional probe into the federal immigration raids that have swept through Los Angeles. The DHS doubles down
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, joined by prominent faith leaders, is leading a public procession Monday morning demanding accountability for a series of aggressive U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations that have rattled communities across the city. The demonstration coincides with the launch of a joint City–Congressional Field Hearing investigating allegations of unlawful detentions, including of U.S. citizens, during recent federal immigration raids.
The federal actions, which resumed after a September Supreme Court ruling lifted a restraining order on ICE’s activities in California, have centered on local workplaces such as car washes. Community leaders say the sweeps have sown fear, shuttered businesses, and torn families apart.
The Supreme Court’s decision reopened the door for expansive federal enforcement operations, prompting a wave of activity across Los Angeles in late summer and fall. On October 20, Mayor Bass and Congressman Robert Garcia (D–Long Beach), the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called for an immediate congressional investigation.
Their request followed reports that federal agents had detained both immigrants and U.S. citizens without warrants or probable cause, allegations that have fueled public outrage and intensified scrutiny on DHS operations.
Last week, the LA County Board of Supervisors declared a state of emergency, citing business closures, economic disruption, and widespread fear stemming from the raids.
Later Monday, Bass and Garcia will convene a rare joint City–Congressional Field Hearing bringing together local officials, federal representatives, immigration advocates, and residents directly affected by the operations. Witnesses are expected to include workers who were detained during workplace sweeps and U.S. citizens who say they were wrongfully held by federal agents.
The mayor’s office says the hearing aims to establish a factual record, amplify community testimony, and determine whether federal agencies violated constitutional protections.
The Department of Homeland Security has defended its actions. Following the Supreme Court’s decision, DHS posted a statement on social media celebrating the ruling as “a victory for the safety of Americans in California and for the rule of law,” adding that the agency “will continue to arrest and remove the criminal illegal aliens that @mayorofla is protecting.”
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Local officials have sharply pushed back on that characterization, arguing that the raids are indiscriminate, disruptive, and, in some cases, unconstitutional.
Monday’s procession and field hearing mark one of the most forceful confrontations yet between Los Angeles leaders and federal immigration authorities. As testimony unfolds, city officials say they hope the investigation will bring transparency and potentially federal oversight to operations that have reverberated through neighborhoods and workplaces across LA.
For now, communities await answers as the city prepares to formally document what residents say has been months of fear, uncertainty, and heavy-handed enforcement.