ICE shot back at the woke mayor of Los Angeles after she said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents should “go home,” with the agency standing its ground in the face of the mayor’s attacks while calling her out for neglecting to keep her city safe.
For context, during a press conference on July 1, 2025, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said that her city’s leadership wanted Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in Los Angeles “to stop,” adding that ICE agents should “go home.” In response, ICE issued a statement saying that they were going to continue their operations in LA.
During her July 1 press conference, Mayor Bass criticized the Trump Administration for its lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, saying that the legal action was part of an “all-out assault against Los Angeles” and adding that she “won’t be intimidated by these tactics.” Moreover, Mayor Bass said her city “will stand strong and we will stand together.”
Continuing, Mayor Bass said that the Trump Administration’s suing of Los Angeles was “an attempt to overturn the will of the city, calling for a halt to long-standing policy to protect immigrant Angelenos.” “She added, “We will defend our ordinance and continue to defend policies that reflect the long-standing values of our city.”
Furthermore, the mayor argued that the Trump Administration wants “the chaos,” saying, “I think we’re the Petri dish for the nation; will the American public tolerate Marines driving up and down the street?” She reportedly added, “We would like for the ICE raids to stop. We would like the array of federal officials or civilians dressed as federal officials to go home.”
Responding directly to Mayor Bass’s statements, Emily Covington, assistant director of the ICE Office of Public Affairs, said, “ICE isn’t going anywhere and will continue to do what Mayor Bass has utterly failed to do – protect the citizens of Los Angeles. If she wants distance from federal law enforcement, I’m sure there is an upcoming diplomatic trip to Ghana.”
Moreover, Mayor Bass previously pushed back against the ICE raids even more, claiming that agents had shown up at a homeless shelter, although the agency said otherwise. She said, “Last Thursday, ICE entered our city and provoked the city by chasing people through Home Depots and car washes and showing up at schools and, today, showing up at emergency rooms and homeless shelters.”
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In response to her claims about ICE raids at homeless shelters and emergency rooms, the agency shut Mayor Bass down on X on June 12, 2025, writing, “FACT CHECK MAYOR BASS: ICE and its federal partners were NOT in homeless shelters, ERs, and schools.” The agency’s post added, “Your lies are fueling the violent riots in your city. Shameful.”
Featured image credit: Mayor Karen Bass via X