LOS ANGELES (CNS) – Mayor Karen Bass and Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Long Beach, convened a congressional hearing in downtown Los Angeles Monday to gather testimony about alleged violations by federal immigration agents, whom they accuse of improperly detaining immigrants and citizens alike, often without probable cause or warrants.
The hearing, dubbed “Due Process for All: Exposing Trump’s Mass Deportation Machine,” was preceded by a march held by immigrant-rights advocates and local leaders — including Bass.
“We want to establish a record because when the political winds change, we want to hold those accountable,” Bass said during the rally. “We want transparency and accountability for all of the egregious unconstitutional acts that are taking place.”
During the hearing, Bass said the session “addresses a crisis that we cannot ignore.”
“Los Angeles will not stay silent while Angelenos’ rights are violated,” she said. “We are here to demand accountability. We are here to demand transparency and we are calling on Congress to act before more families are torn apart.”
Garcia, the ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said the aim of the hearing was “to do real oversight of the Trump administration.” He said the president and other top administration officials “are causing terror not just in Los Angeles and L.A. County, but across the country.”
He said more than 170 U.S. citizens have been detained during ICE operations.
The Trump administration has maintained that federal immigration enforcement focuses on the removal of “violent criminals” and the “worst of the worst.” Federal officials have also denied allegations that detainees are mistreated or held in substandard facilities while in custody. They also deny claims that people are being arrested without probably cause.
During the hearing, Los Angeles City Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez said the impacts of the stepped-up immigration enforcement actions are far- reaching.
“Our communities are suffering, and it isn’t just those being arrested and detained,” he said. “Our businesses relying on the labor of immigrants are also suffering. Tourism has been hurt by federal policies that discourage both international and domestic travel. Commercial corridors that were once vibrant now feel like ghost towns.”
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