The city of Los Angeles is taking legal action to oppose the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement tactics by seeking to join a lawsuit challenging recent immigration raids.
City officials announced their intention to become a party in an ongoing legal battle that contests the legality and conduct of the raids, which targeted undocumented immigrants across several U.S. cities. The lawsuit, initially filed by a coalition of civil rights groups and other municipalities, argues that the raids violated constitutional rights and were carried out in an unnecessarily harsh and intimidating manner.
Los Angeles leaders, including Mayor Eric Garcetti and members of the City Council, have expressed deep concern over the raids’ impact on immigrant communities. They argue that such actions undermine public safety by spreading fear among residents, making them less likely to report crimes or cooperate with local law enforcement.
“Los Angeles is proud to stand with cities and organizations fighting to protect the rights of immigrants and uphold the values of justice and fairness.”
By joining the lawsuit, Los Angeles aims to bolster the legal effort to curtail what it views as unconstitutional and disruptive immigration enforcement practices. City officials hope their involvement will bring added pressure on the federal government to reconsider its approach.
This move aligns with Los Angeles’s ongoing stance as a sanctuary city—a designation that limits local cooperation with federal immigration authorities and emphasizes support for immigrant rights.
The case is still making its way through the courts, with several cities and legal advocates pushing for injunctions to halt future raids while the legal challenges are addressed.
Los Angeles, Southern California Cities Seek to Join Lawsuit Against Trump Administration Over Immigration Raids
The city and county of Los Angeles, along with several neighboring municipalities in Southern California, are moving to join a lawsuit against the Trump administration.
The lawsuit, originally filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Southern California last week, represents five individuals and several immigration advocacy groups. It alleges that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), carried out unlawful arrests and detentions to meet politically motivated arrest quotas set by the Trump administration.
According to a statement by the ACLU, the federal government’s actions amounted to a violation of constitutional rights. “No matter their status or the color of their skin, everyone is guaranteed constitutional protections against illegal stops,” said Mohammad Tajsar, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU. “We will hold DHS accountable.”
On Tuesday, officials from Los Angeles and several surrounding cities confirmed their decision to join the legal fight. In a statement, Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said the participating jurisdictions aim “to challenge the unlawful immigration enforcement activities … which have included the federal government’s targeting of the Los Angeles area and Angelenos based on their race and ethnicity, and denying due process to those detained.”
DHS has dismissed the allegations, stating that immigration enforcement operations are conducted lawfully and are not racially motivated. DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin called the accusations “disgusting and categorically FALSE,” according to a statement cited by the Los Angeles Times.
The legal action follows President Donald Trump’s decision to send thousands of National Guard troops into Los Angeles last month. The deployment was framed as a response to what Trump claimed was a breakdown of order in the city amid protests over immigration enforcement. However, both Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom forcefully rejected the claims, saying the administration was exaggerating the situation to justify federal intervention.
The aggressive ICE raids, which began on June 6, have reportedly taken place at homes, businesses, and public spaces throughout Los Angeles, fueling anxiety across immigrant communities. Mayor Bass described a chilling pattern of masked federal agents in unmarked vehicles pulling up to people on the street, drawing guns, and taking individuals away.
“This is not just unconstitutional,” Bass said at Tuesday’s press event, “it’s terrifying. How are people supposed to tell the difference between a federal arrest and a kidnapping?”
The announcement comes on the heels of Mayor Bass’s direct confrontation with heavily armed federal agents and National Guard members who marched through MacArthur Park near downtown Los Angeles on Monday. The militarized presence in residential neighborhoods has further galvanized local opposition to federal immigration policy.
The Trump administration has continued to push for tougher immigration enforcement, with calls last month for ICE to ramp up deportation efforts in Democratic-controlled cities. Administration officials have framed these efforts as essential to public safety and national security—messaging that critics say is intended to stoke fear and political division.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration filed its own lawsuit against Los Angeles, arguing that the city’s sanctuary policies interfere with federal immigration enforcement and amount to discrimination against federal law.
City officials and local business leaders have raised alarm over the raids’ economic consequences as well.
“The sense of fear is overwhelming,” Rodriguez said. “This has paralyzed small businesses and driven away customers.”
With immigration once again emerging as a central political flashpoint, the lawsuit represents a significant clash between federal authority and local governance.