DOJ Sues Los Angeles, Mayor Over Sanctuary City Law, Citing Riots

The U.S. Department of Justice, under President Donald Trump's administration, has filed a lawsuit against Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, and the City Council to invalidate the city's sanctuary city ordinance, which restricts local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The DOJ claims the ordinance, signed into law in December 2024, violates federal immigration law and the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, accusing the city of obstructing federal immigration operations and contributing to recent violence, rioting, and lawlessness following ICE raids. Attorney General Pam Bondi stated that sanctuary policies undermine law enforcement and prioritized illegal immigrants over American citizens, a situation the Trump administration vows to end. Los Angeles officials, including Mayor Bass, have rejected these allegations, calling them false and arguing that the raids themselves have caused fear and unrest in the community. The lawsuit highlights that the ordinance was enacted specifically to counteract President Trump's immigration policies after his 2024 election victory. The city council is considering legal actions to defend its sanctuary policies and protect residents from what it sees as federal overreach.