Los Angeles Mayor Bass attends Congressional field hearing on immigration enforcement operations in region
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and other local leaders attended a Congressional field hearing Monday morning to look into whether federal immigration agents have unlawfully detained U.S. citizens and others over the past several months.
Bass joined Congressman Robert Garcia, Ranking Member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and other Democratic members to hear testimony from local and community leaders for the public record. Garcia said it is important to document allegations of misconduct by federal agents when they happen.
For months, local officials have alleged that immigration enforcement tactics used during raids throughout Southern California are unlawful. A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Public Counsel and other immigration and civil rights attorneys claimed that federal agents were violating the Constitution by arresting people solely based on their skin color, performing raids without warrants and denying legal counsel to detainees.
A lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Public Counsel and other immigration and civil rights attorneys over the summer claimed that federal agents were violating the Constitution by arresting people solely based on their skin color, performing raids without warrants and denying legal counsel to detainees.
A lower court judge ruled to temporarily halt immigration raids in Southern California in July. In August, an appeals court ruled to largely keep the restrictions made by the lower court's ruling.
The Congressional field hearing featured several panels where leaders accused the Trump administration of sending masked men who have instilled fear in communities. Bass claimed that Angelenos are scared to leave their homes, which has a significant impact on the local economy. She explained that the Los Angeles economy cannot function without immigrant labor.
CBS LA has reached out to the White House for comment and is waiting for a response. Previously, President Trump claimed that mass deportations were necessary in Democrat-run cities because elected officials want to "expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good-paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens."
Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson called the immigration raids "an erosion of trust" and said local governments have like his have strengthened their resources and offered services like legal counsel to residents.
Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett accused President Trump of "running the most openly racist immigration regime in modern American history."
The committee also heard from U.S. citizen Andrea Velez, who claimed she was wrongfully detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents on June 24. Velez said she was accused of interfering with ICE and taken to the Metropolitan Detention Center. She claimed that while she was held, she was denied access to make a phone call to family or contact a lawyer.
Velez said her case was ultimately dismissed due to lack of evidence but said she fears for her safety and the safety of others.
Garcia said the committee is not only focused on possible violations on LA but across the country. He announced the official launch of the Oversight Immigration Enforcement Dashboard that is meant to document and archive possible misconducts by federal agents. He said the dashboard already has over 250 alleged documented instances.