Officials in Los Angeles call for investigation into alleged "unlawful" detainment of U.S. citizens, immigrants during raids

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Democratic Rep. Robert Garcia, ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, called for a congressional investigation into the alleged "unlawful" and unconstitutional" detainment of U.S. citizens and immigrants during raids. 

At a news conference Monday morning, Bass said that since June, the city of LA has been used as the "laboratory" for "egregious and unconstitutional behavior from our federal government." She claims that both U.S. citizens and other immigrants have been denied their rights and subjected to fear without proper legal representation. 

"In addition to undocumented individuals being detained, we also know that legal residents, people who are attending court hearings, were detained and we now know that there is evidence of over 170 U.S. citizens who have been detained," Bass said.

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson criticized Bass for her lack of support for Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents.

"Dangerous criminal illegal aliens who are being arrested and deported by the Trump Administration must love Karen Bass – instead of supporting ICE's heroic efforts to get these monsters off our streets, Bass would rather demonize and attack American law enforcement officers," Jackson wrote. 

Bass called the alleged actions by the Trump administration "not just an assault on the people of Los Angeles – this is an assault on every person, in every city in this country."

"The Trump Administration is fulfilling the President's promise to deport criminal illegal aliens and any individuals who attempt to illegally interfere with operations or assault law enforcement officers will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law," Jackson wrote.   

Garcia announced that House Oversight Committee Democrats would be creating an investigative unit in LA to look into "every single brutal misconduct that ICE is committing." Garcia added that the unit would not only be created in the House, but Democrats in the Senate also agreed to do the same. 

 "Beginning today, we are demanding that all records and documents, particularly when citizens have also been detained and how officers are treating citizens and those being detained, are available to our committee," Garcia said. 

Garicia, along with the other elected officials who spoke at Monday's news conference, said it is their duty to protect everyone's rights regardless of their immigration status.