Mayor Karen Bass talks with Anthony Samad, executive director of the Mervyn Dymally African-American and Political and Economic Institute at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Sept. 12 during radio station KJLH’s Men’s Empowerment Conference.
Courtesy photo
By Ray Richardson
Contributing Writer
CARSON — As U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents continue executing raids in Los Angeles, with the legal blessing of a recent Supreme Court ruling, Mayor Karen Bass is expressing more concerns about how the ICE operations are affecting the city’s image, businesses and tourism.
Under the direction of the Trump administration, ICE agents have been searching for suspected undocumented immigrants since June — with no apparent evidence of an end date for the operations.
“We know the impact that images of masked men snatching people off the street and putting them into unmarked cars may have on people thinking about coming here to visit,” Bass said in a statement to The Wave. “Los Angeles is incredibly resilient. But we have heard that these raids have not only scared the immigrant community here but also worldwide.”
A Supreme Court decision on Sept. 8 overturned a federal judge’s ruling that labeled the ICE raids as unconstitutional. Bass and Los Angeles officials were hoping the Supreme Court would uphold the federal ruling, possibly leading to a termination of the ICE operations.
With ICE agents having the legal right to resume racial profiling in search of suspected undocumented immigrants, frustration continues over how the raids are affecting the city’s image.
“The images of the raids are horrendous,” Bass said. “But the image I think Los Angeles has sent clearly to the nation and the world is that we are united.”
The city’s response to the raids, including legal challenges and rallying community organizations to promote immigration rights, was a key topic on Sept. 13 when Bass participated in a public forum during radio station KJLH’s Men’s Empowerment Conference at Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Anthony Samad, executive director of the Mervyn Dymally African-American and Political and Economic Institute at Cal State Dominguez Hills, led the public forum with Bass. Samad agrees with Bass that a unified response is vital to opposing the Trump administration’s immigration policies.
“Trump wants us to turn on each other, Blacks and Latinos,” Samad said. “We overcame slavery. We can overcome this. Trump is trying to test a theory that he can use a private police force that can target opposition without worrying about Fourth Amendment violations.”
The Fourth Amendment in the U.S. Constitution protects people from “unreasonable searches and seizures” by the government. Opponents of the ICE immigration raids claim the government, indeed, has committed Fourth Amendment violations.
As of Aug. 26, the Office of Homeland Security said more than 5,000 people in Los Angeles had been detained or arrested since the raids began in June. Bass and city officials are expecting that number to increase after the Supreme Court ruling.
The arrests and detainments have had a damaging effect on local businesses and commerce in Los Angeles. Areas that thrived with Hispanic and Latino street vendors are now vacant.
“The impact has been devastating,” Bass said. “I’ve been to businesses and restaurants across Los Angeles and the impact reminds me of COVID.”
“Most heartbreaking is what we see in the children,” Los Angeles Urban League President and CEO Cynthia Mitchell-Heard said in a statement. “Parents describe toddlers waking up at night asking whether mamá or papá will be there in the morning. No child should have to carry that kind of fear. I urge our leaders to restore transparency and accountability to these operations, to safeguard families’ rights, and to ensure that no one is denied dignity or due process.”
Bass also is becoming more worried about the potential of escalating violence between ICE agents and suspected undocumented immigrants. There have been numerous images shown during local television newscasts of immigrants, even those with proper documentation, resisting arrest by ICE agents.
“For the most part, what we’ve seen is violence on one side,” Bass said. “It’s the side of the White House and the federal government invading our city and abducting our people.”
Bass and city officials are facing a dilemma if the ICE raids continue for an extended period of time. Several major sporting events are coming to the Los Angeles area within the next two years, including the 2026 FIFA World Cup soccer championship, a 39-day event scheduled to begin in Los Angeles next June 12.
The World Cup is of particular interest to Los Angeles officials with the large number of international visitors expected to travel to the city. Many visitors will likely come from Hispanic and Latino countries.
FIFA asked World Cup host cities in Canada, Mexico and the U.S. to submit a “stakeholder engagement report” to indicate how they plan to deal with potential human rights issues.
Political and civic leaders in Los Angeles have linked the immigration concerns to violations of human rights.
“The morale of the city has been impacted,” Samad said. “Having a mayor like Karen Bass will help us get through this. She understands public and community policy. She has the foresight to see what this is all about.”
Ray Richardson is a contributing writer for The Wave. He can be reached at rayrich55@gmail.com.
