LOS ANGELES — The Trump administration criticized L.A. Mayor Karen Bass for her remarks about wanting ICE to leave the city, suggesting that her views, alongside other Democrats, were influenced by “criminal illegal aliens.”
White House press secretary Abigail Jackson told the Post, “Those blaming law enforcement rather than the actual criminals are simply taking direction from illegal aliens who have committed crimes.”
Bass expressed her desire for ICE to exit Los Angeles following a raid in the fashion district earlier that morning.
The Fashion District, a significant area spanning 107 blocks and the hub of the West Coast’s apparel industry, had been one of the first places targeted during ICE raids that began in June 2025.
“They’ve struck the fashion district again, a place that hasn’t fully recovered from recent raids,” Bass stated. “The escalation from the White House is increasingly alarming. This kind of terrorizing of the American public means Angelenos live in fear, unsure of when or where ICE might appear next.”
Bass also referenced the murder of Renee Nicole Good while criticizing the president’s actions.
“The aggressive tactics by ICE are particularly troubling given the recent escalations and violence in U.S. cities, including the shooting of Keith Porter Jr. by an off-duty ICE officer here in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve and the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good in Minneapolis,” Bass said. “Equally concerning is the president’s threat to use the Insurrection Act, potentially leading to military intervention in our city.”
The White House argued that due to the rhetoric from officials like Bass, ICE officers have seen a staggering 1,300% increase in assaults, attributing this to “dangerous and false accusations by elected Democrats.”
Jackson emphasized, “ICE agents enforce the law with the highest professionalism and bravely protect American communities.”
