Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass brought together more than 20 mayors from the region, community leaders, faith leaders, and residents impacted by immigration raids at a community event called "On the Front Line: Facing the Human Cost of ICE Deportations and Standing Up for Our Communities," where they discussed the excesses and abuses committed by agents federal immigration officials.

“Los Angeles will not tolerate fear, intimidation, or unlawful persecution by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement),” declared Mayor Karen Bass. “The hearing laid bare the devastating effects suffered by Angelenos, including U.S. citizens, who have been detained without cause, assaulted, and deprived of their liberty. These stories are not only alarming, but intolerable,” she noted. “Such attacks strike at the very heart of our city, and we are seeing their impact ripple throughout the county,” she said. The mayor was proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with more than 20 mayors from the region, united in their commitment to protecting every resident and upholding justice at all times. The regional hearing highlighted the urgent pressures on immigrant communities, revealing how federal raids threaten fundamental rights and tear families apart across Los Angeles and beyond. As ICE operations become more aggressive, residents and local leaders grapple with the daily reality of protecting those most at risk.

Personal testimonies highlighted repeated human rights violations, offering a vivid account of the human consequences of immigration enforcement, both in the region and across the country.

“Unconstitutional immigration raids and the fear they generate undermine the moral fabric of our nation and the fundamental rights our Constitution is meant to protect,” said San Fernando Mayor Joel Fajardo.“In cities like San Fernando, immigrant families are our neighbors, our small business owners, and an essential part of the fabric of our community,” he emphasized. He added that when families live in fear and uncertainty, it affects entire neighborhoods, local businesses, and the stability of communities.

“Our country is stronger when we defend human rights, treat people with dignity, and remember that the values ??of justice and compassion are at the core of who we are.”

Following the raids from June 2025 through December 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) reported that more than 10,000 immigrants have been arrested by ICE in the Los Angeles area.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson said that the community testimonies gathered at the forum will be an essential tool in holding this administration accountable for the atrocities it has perpetrated against neighborhoods and the local economy.

Maegan Ortiz, executive director of the IDEPSCA day laborer shelters, said that through a diversity of testimonies and evidence, the meeting demonstrated that what they have collectively experienced throughout Southern California is nothing less than attacks sponsored by the federal government.

rooted in racism and white supremacy.

“It also highlights that, despite attempts to alter the very landscape of Southern California, we remain united in the pursuit of truth and justice, as well as in the ongoing struggle to protect and love one another through protest and political action.”

Bamby Salcedo, president and CEO of the TransLatin@ Coalition, said that immigration raids terrorizing transgender immigrants are inhumane.

“Transgender immigrants deserve to live with dignity and security, not in fear. Our country is stronger when we protect the human rights of all people, regardless of their immigration status or gender identity.”

The meeting came almost as a new poll from UC Berkeley’s Citrin Center for Public Opinion Research and POLITICO was released among California voters, showing that California Democrats overwhelmingly want to dismantle the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

While 41% of Democrats and two-thirds of independents said it is important for the country to secure its borders and stop the flow of undocumented immigration, 71% of voters surveyed, including 45% of Republicans, maintained that California's economy would suffer if millions of undocumented immigrants disappeared from the workforce.At the local level, following the raids, Mayor Bass issued Executive Order 12, and together with philanthropic and private partners, mobilized $1.7 million in immediate aid for affected families. She later enacted Executive Order 17, which mandates that city properties not be used by federal immigration agents as bases for operations, processing, and preparation; and calls for updating the Los Angeles Police Department's protocols regarding immigration actions. At the same time, it directs that they be given guidance on how to implement the state law prohibiting immigration agents from wearing masks and that the process begin to ensure that city contractors disclose whether they have agreements with the Department of Homeland Security.