• The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles aimed at blocking its sanctuary city policies.
• Federal officials claim the city’s ordinances hinder immigration enforcement and violate federal law.
• Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass argues the lawsuit is an attempt to undermine the city’s long-standing immigrant protections.
• The lawsuit coincides with increased protests and unrest linked to recent immigration raids.

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, and the City Council, calling the city's sanctuary policies “illegal” and seeking to block their enforcement. The lawsuit claims these policies obstruct federal immigration law enforcement and impede communication among local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, endangering public safety, according to latimes and abcnews.

The lawsuit stems from a broader federal crackdown on cities with similar policies, and it specifically targets Los Angeles’ Ordinance Number 188441, which prohibits local resources from being used to enforce immigration laws. Chad Mizelle, a senior Justice Department official, stated, “We will keep enforcing federal immigration law in Los Angeles, whether or not the city’s government or residents agree with it” according to reuters and thehill.

Mayor Bass has strongly criticized the lawsuit, asserting it aims to overturn the city’s commitment to protecting its immigrant population and calling it a direct attack on local governance. “The lawsuit is an attempt to overturn the will of the city, calling for a halt to long-standing policy to protect immigrant Angelenos,” she stated during a press conference, according to thehill and scmp.

In conjunction with the lawsuit, the Trump administration has deployed National Guard troops to Los Angeles in response to protests against immigration raids, a move that has sparked significant controversy among local and state officials. Attorney General Pam Bondi claimed the city’s policies have led to “lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism,” attributing recent civil unrest directly to these policies, according to newsweek and lemonde.