LOS ANGELES – Mayor Karen Bass today joined Congressman Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, for a congressional field hearing, “Due Process for All: Exposing Trump’s Mass Deportation Machine,” held in Downtown Los Angeles. The hearing addressed and documented unlawful detentions and abuses by federal immigration agents. More than 200 people attended the hearing.
“No community should be made to live in fear of unwarranted persecution,” said Mayor Bass. “This hearing creates a record of the unlawful abuses that Angelenos, including U.S. citizens have faced. The first hand accounts of Angelenos who were forcibly held, physically attacked, and deprived of their freedom without cause are not only outrageous—they are intolerable. This is more than an affront to Los Angeles as we’ve unfortunately seen these attacks spread to cities across the county. I am grateful for Congressman Garcia’s support, and I remain steadfast and fearless in protecting our residents and upholding justice.”
“Every person in our country has a right to due process, regardless of immigration status. It’s critical that the Oversight Committee document and hold accountable those that are defying the constitution, violating civil rights, and terrorizing families and communities,” said Congressman Robert Garcia. “I am grateful for Mayor Karen Bass and those across the country who are fighting for justice and our values.”
The hearing brought together city leaders, immigration advocates, and federal officials, and featured powerful firsthand testimony from immigrants and U.S. citizens who were wrongfully detained by ICE. Witnesses described violent arrests, racial profiling, and violations of constitutional rights, providing emotional accounts of the harms caused by federal immigration enforcement. Participants documented a growing pattern of abuses amid ongoing, indiscriminate immigration raids across Los Angeles and the nation.
As part of today’s field hearing, Congressman Garcia announced the launch of the Oversight Immigration Enforcement Dashboard. In order to fulfill oversight and legislative responsibilities, Oversight Committee Democrats launched the dashboard to compile a verified public record of possible misconduct incidents after they occur. Angelenos can learn more about the dashboard or submit their own reports at oversightdemocrats.house.gov/immigration-dashboard.
Witnesses included:
Lindsay Toczylowski, President, CEO and Co-Founder, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef)
Angelica Salas, Executive Director, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA)
David Huerta, President, SEIU California
Father Brendan Busse, Dolores Mission ChurchChanchanit (Chancee) Martorell, Founder and Executive Director, Thai Community Development Center (Thai CDC)
Andrea Velez, Los Angeles resident and U.S. citizen detained by ICE
Mayor Karen Bass has been committed to defending Los Angeles families, standing strong against the Trump administration’s reckless immigration raids and the federalization of the National Guard in L.A. this summer. Even as a federal court issued a Temporary Restraining Order, the White House pressed forward with its raids—but Los Angeles has refused to back down. Mayor Bass has taken decisive action to protect immigrant communities, signing an executive directive to support Los Angeles’ immigrant communities, including:
Mandating all departments to strengthen their protocols and training to align with the City’s law restricting the use of City resources for immigration enforcement and submit plans demonstrating their readiness.
Forming a working group with the LAPD, the Mayor’s Office of Immigration Affairs, immigration rights organizations, and community leaders to collect feedback that will help shape additional guidance for police officers responding to immigration enforcement activities.
Seeking records from the federal government relating to the indiscriminate raids.
Increasing immigrant families’ access to City Department resources by utilizing each department’s designated Immigrant Affairs Liaison.