Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass signed an executive directive prohibiting the use of any city-owned or controlled property by federal immigration agents.
On Tuesday morning, Bass said she was signing the directive to “protect Los Angeles” from the federal government. She stated that the directive was developed in collaboration with community organizations and immigrant rights leaders.
“Let me make myself clear, this is not normal, and it will never be normal. It is the opposite of what a federal government is supposed to do,” Bass said. “What we have seen in all of our districts is ICE going and attempting to stage at various properties, public or private.”
The directive also instructs the Los Angeles Police Department to preserve all evidence related to immigration enforcement operations so it can be reported. It directs the city planning department to prepare an ordinance imposing fees on property owners who grant site control to federal agents.
“Let me be clear, we will never allow our city to be divided,” Bass said. “We will never allow ICE to continue doing what it’s doing in terms of attempting to stage in different areas.”
While Bass is opposing ICE, she is also preparing for her challenging reelection bid as she continues to suffer fallout from last year’s devastating wildfire and ongoing criticism of City Hall on issues from street paving to homelessness.
The deadline is Saturday for candidates to enter the contest ahead of the June 2 primary election. Bass—a first-term Democrat and the first Black woman to hold the post—already is facing challenges from tech entrepreneur and nonprofit founder Adam Miller; reality television personality Spencer Pratt, who lost his home to the deadly Palisades Fire; and community organizer Rae Huang. A late entry was city council member Nithya Raman, a onetime Bass supporter who will now be trying to oust her.
Bass started her tenure as mayor by cleaning up the streets and helping the homeless with her Inside Safe initiative. According to the mayor’s office, Inside Safe has conducted 117 operations since Bass launched it, and it has brought 5,496 people into temporary housing. Of those, 1,321 have obtained permanent housing. Others have found temporary shelter or, sadly, have returned to the streets.
Against a citywide homeless population of more than 40,000 people, those numbers may seem incremental, but they are helping to reverse years of neglect. The number of unsheltered homeless people—the focus of Bass’s work—has declined by 17.5 percent since the mayor took office, according to the county’s annual count.
Her competitors know residents aren’t satisfied with the improvements Bass has made and are taking advantage of it.
On his website, Pratt—who rose to reality-TV fame alongside his wife, Heidi Montag, on “The Hills”—said he watched his home burn “because the system failed us.”
“We don’t need more government programs,” Pratt added. “We need common sense, accountability, and a mayor that shows up for everyone.”
“Los Angeles has extraordinary potential, but too often City Hall hasn’t been there for the people who call it home,” Miller said in a statement.
The election is November 3, 2026, as each candidate gears up during the mayoral race. Los Angeles will then have the Super Bowl 2027 at SoFi Stadium and the LA28 Olympics.
Whoever takes the role of mayor for the next term has a lot on their plate, as competence is essential for Los Angeles to maximize its opportunities.
