The Trump administration has filed a federal lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles, its mayor Karen Bass, and members of the City Council, accusing them of obstructing federal immigration enforcement through their “sanctuary city” policies.
Filed on Monday, the lawsuit claims that Los Angeles is in violation of the U.S. Constitution by actively preventing cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and undermining federal law. It further alleges that the city’s policies have fostered lawlessness and public disorder.
The complaint states, “In 2024, then-candidate Donald J. Trump ran on a platform promising to deport millions of undocumented immigrants allowed entry under prior open-border policies. Just days after President Trump’s electoral victory on November 5, 2024, the Los Angeles City Council moved to formalize sanctuary city measures aimed at blocking these deportation efforts.”
Federal officials argue that these actions directly interfere with the collaboration needed between local and federal law enforcement to uphold immigration laws and ensure national safety.
The administration also linked recent civil unrest—such as rioting, looting, and attacks on law enforcement—partly to the city’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that “Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles.” She emphasized that under President Trump, these policies would no longer be tolerated.
Local leaders have pushed back strongly. Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez responded, as quoted by ABC7, “Trump is tearing families apart and trying to force every city to support his white nationalist agenda. We refuse to be complicit and will do everything we can to protect immigrant families.”
Los Angeles joins a growing list of California cities—including Long Beach, Pasadena, Santa Ana, and West Hollywood—that have enacted sanctuary laws. President Trump has previously threatened to withhold federal funds from such jurisdictions, intensifying the standoff between local governments and federal immigration policy.
