Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive directive Tuesday prohibiting federal immigration agents from using city-owned property as staging areas for enforcement operations, while also requiring increased monitoring of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activities by local police.
Executive Directive 17 comes amid ongoing immigration raids across Los Angeles that Bass characterized as “ICE’s campaign of terror” against city residents. The order gives city agencies 15 days to identify properties that could be used by federal agents and implement plans to prevent such use.
“What we have seen in all of our districts is ICE go and attempt to stage at various properties, public or private,” Bass said during the City Hall signing event. “It instructs LAPD officers to preserve all evidence related to immigration enforcement activities so that it can be reported.”
The directive requires Los Angeles Police Department officers who respond to immigration enforcement scenes to activate their body-worn cameras and preserve all video evidence. Officers must also record the name and badge number of supervising federal officers present at enforcement actions.
This move follows recent tensions between LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell and city officials. McDonnell previously stated the department would not enforce a new California law banning federal agents from wearing masks during operations, citing officer safety concerns. That state law was temporarily blocked by a federal judge on Monday.
Bass addressed the situation, saying: “He is fully aware of the executive directive. I’ve also talked to him and raised concerns about the masking law, and to me, of course, the Los Angeles Police Department is going to enforce the law.”
The directive also calls for an ordinance that would impose fees on private property owners who allow federal agents to use their sites for immigration operations. Additionally, it directs the city to lock gates and doors where possible to prevent agents from gathering in city-owned spaces like parking lots.
This action builds on the city’s previous efforts to support immigrant communities. Last July, Bass issued Executive Directive 12, which reportedly raised $1.7 million in immediate relief for families impacted by federal raids.
The directive comes as protests against ICE operations continue across Southern California, including demonstrations and student walkouts in Los Angeles and Orange counties in recent weeks.
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