LOS ANGELES – Today, Mayor Karen Bass was joined by more than 20 mayors and local elected officials from across Southern California to call for an end to the federal immigration raids that have taken place in cities across the region.
“Mayors across the L.A. region and the country have spoken out unequivocally against these reckless raids and the Trump administration’s chaotic escalation here in Los Angeles,” said Mayor Karen Bass. “When you raid Home Depots and workplaces, when you tear parents and children apart, and when you deploy troops to our streets, you’re not trying to keep anyone safe – you’re trying to cause fear and panic. These raids must stop.”
“The emotional toll these raids are having on our community was palpable over the weekend and during Paramount's City Council meeting last night,” said Mayor Peggy Lemons of Paramount. “Community members should not have to fear for their children who may be rounded up while in school, or for their grandparents who are elderly and may be picked up while out for an afternoon walk. This shameful destruction of people's lives who have been here for decades falls squarely on the shoulders of lawmakers whose polarized partisanship is destroying real people.”
“Militarized immigration enforcement has no place in our neighborhoods, and the deployment of Marines on U.S. soil is an alarming escalation that undermines the values of our democracy,” said Mayor Arturo Flores of Huntington Park. “Our communities are not battlegrounds. Deploying military forces and conducting militarized ICE raids in immigrant neighborhoods is not about public safety—it is about political theater rooted in fear. It threatens families, traumatizes children, and corrodes the foundational trust between local government and the people we serve. I stand shoulder to shoulder with Mayor Bass, united in rejecting fear-based tactics that target immigrant communities and erode public trust. We call on federal leaders to uphold civil rights, end the militarization of enforcement, and pursue humane, community-centered solutions.”
“We are outraged and heartbroken by the recent and ongoing ICE activities targeting immigrant families in our community,” said Mayor Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios of Ventura. “These actions are not only inhumane, but they are also an affront to the values we uphold in Ventura and throughout the state of California.”
“As Mayor of Vernon, I want to reaffirm our City’s unwavering commitment to the safety, dignity, and well-being of all individuals – regardless of immigration status,” said Mayor Judith Merlo of Vernon.
Attendees at today’s announcement included:
Paramount Mayor Peggy Lemons
Huntington Park Mayor Arturo Flores
Vernon Mayor Judith Merlo
South Gate Mayor Maria Davila
Ventura Mayor Dr. Jeannette Sanchez-Palacios
Bell Gardens Mayor Jorgel Chavez
El Monte Mayor Jessica Ancona
Montebello Mayor Sal Melendez
Santa Paula Mayor Pedro Chavez
Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete
West Hollywood Mayor Chelsea Byers
Cudahy Vice Mayor Cynthia Gonzalez
Fillmore Mayor Pro Tem Albert Mendez
Paramount Vice Mayor Brenda Olmos
Ventura Deputy Mayor Doug Halter
Lynwood Councilwoman Lorraine Avila Moore
Artesia Councilmember Melissa Ramoso
Downey Councilman Mario Trujillo
Paramount Councilmember Vilma Cuellar Stallings
Pico Rivera Councilmember Andrew Lara
South Gate Councilmember Gil Hurtado
Vernon Councilmember Crystal Larios
Vernon Councilmember Leticia Lopez
To be connected to one of the above officials, please email lamayornews@lacity.org.
Earlier this week, the Democratic Mayors Association, which represents 500 current and former Democratic mayors, and Mayor Andrew Ginther, President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, which represents more than 1,400 mayors, weighed in regarding President Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Los Angeles. Read more here.