L.A. Mayor Karen Bass holds press conference on latest ICE raids in the city
LOS ANGELES (NBC, KYMA/KECY) - Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass met with the media Friday in California as National Guard troops continue to protect federal buildings in the city after President Donald Trump deployed them.
She talked about how she still feels the Trump Administration overstepped its authority and she questioned why the troops are still in the city.
"I always raise the point that the day before, on Thursday of last week, everything was peaceful in Los Angeles. Nothing was happening here. Nothing was going on that warranted the behavior of the federal government over the last few days, we are here today because the raids have caused fear and panic, because they felt empowered that they could shove and cuff a US senator. How could you come to town and say you are rescuing Los Angeles and you don't even know the US Senator, we're here today because we are clear that we are a test case, and they want to see just how far federal overreach can go. Can the federal government come in and seize power from a state and from a local jurisdiction? How much will the American people put up with? How much will Californians put up with? How much will Angelenos put up with? How much will people from all of the other 88 cities in our county put up with? And we're here to tell you that we're not going to put up with it. We're not going to solve anything by chasing people at car washes, by intimidating families in their schools or by sending troops into an American city."
Mayor Karen Bass (D-CA)
She criticized the president, but not by name and only by referring to the administration as the federal government.
Bass asked people to protest peacefully and warned if they don't, the president could decide to put more troops in the city.
"If all of these troops are deployed here, why are there more military troops in Los Angeles than in Iraq. Just think about that for a minute. So we're here today because we're not going to let anyone divide us. We're here today to show the world that the real America, what the real America is all about, what Los Angeles is all about, and Los Angeles is about diversity. Is about embracing the immigrant population is about celebrating the fact that there are sectors of our economy that, frankly, would not function if it was not for immigrant labor.
But we do call on people over the weekend to demonstrate peacefully, to exercise your first amendment right to not play into the hands, where it could be used as a pretext to roll out troops in our city."
Mayor Karen Bass (D-CA)
