Mayor Karen Bass on Sunday denounced what she described as a “reign of terror” unfolding across Los Angeles, criticizing the Trump administration’s deployment of thousands of troops and masked ICE agents in the city.
In an interview on ABC’s This Week with Martha Raddatz, the Democratic mayor said the federal government’s immigration crackdown — including raids, arrests, and a heavy military presence — has left many residents, particularly in immigrant communities, living in fear.
“When the raids started, fear spread,” Bass said. “The masked men in unmarked cars, no license plate, no real uniforms, jumping out of cars with rifles and snatching people off the street — a lot of people thought maybe kidnappings were taking place.”
Last month, President Trump ordered 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles amid protests against the ICE operations. Among those detained in recent weeks was a prominent labor union leader. Both Bass and California Governor Gavin Newsom had publicly opposed the military deployment, calling it unnecessary and inflammatory.
Bass stressed that while some demonstrators acted violently during protests, the incidents were limited in scope and did not justify a full-scale military response. “Los Angeles is 500 square miles. The disturbances took place in maybe two square miles,” she said.
Although the Trump administration has since reduced the military footprint by withdrawing half the National Guard troops, Bass reiterated her call for a complete withdrawal. “They were never needed here to begin with,” she said. “They’ve had to leave their families, their jobs, their education — for what? So that they could participate in performance art?”
While Bass did not directly answer questions about how to address illegal immigration, she emphasized the importance of comprehensive reform and highlighted the role undocumented workers play in California’s economy. “Entire sectors of our economy are dependent on immigrant labor,” she said. “People aren’t coming here for fun — they’re fleeing desperation.”
