Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass issued a sharp rebuke of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies following the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill, which allocates $170.7 billion to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for use in carrying out mass deportations.
The bill, which was signed into law last week, marked a central legislative victory for President Donald Trump’s immigration agenda, fulfilling a key campaign promise centered on large-scale removals of individuals residing in the country illegally.
Bass, in a post shared on X, stated, “They gave ICE a budget bigger than most of the world’s militaries. Instead of investing in housing, jobs, or health care, they’re funding fear — tearing families apart in our neighborhoods. These raids must end.”
They gave ICE a budget bigger than most of the world’s militaries.
Instead of investing in housing, jobs, or health care, they’re funding fear — tearing families apart in our neighborhoods.
These raids must end.
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 5, 2025
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The total ICE allocation places the agency’s funding above the military budgets of nearly every country except the United States and China.
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ICE is tasked with arresting, detaining, and deporting individuals in violation of U.S. immigration laws, including those with criminal convictions.
Bass also released a video in which she denounced the deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles in response to recent unrest, which included several days of violent riots tied to immigration enforcement.
“What is happening in Los Angeles is not normal. It is not normal to send in the National Guard without a request from the governor. It is not normal to conduct indiscriminate raids on our immigrant population. Let LA return to normal. Get the National Guard out,” she said.
Bass further alleged that Los Angeles is “the test ground, the petri dish for the experiment to see how much will the American people tolerate.”
She also condemned a newly constructed ICE detention center in Florida — dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz” — where wildlife reportedly acts as a deterrent to escape attempts.
What is happening in Los Angeles is not normal.
It is not normal to send in the National Guard without a request from the governor.
It is not normal to conduct indiscriminate raids on our immigrant population.
Let LA return to normal.
Get the National Guard out. pic.twitter.com/u7NxVA1r5O
— Mayor Karen Bass (@MayorOfLA) July 6, 2025
Los Angeles is a sanctuary city in a sanctuary state.
Under California law, local law enforcement agencies are restricted from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement, including notifying ICE when criminal illegal aliens are released from custody.
The Department of Justice has filed legal action against the city over these policies.
Federal officials have said that the sanctuary laws force ICE to conduct community-level operations to locate individuals who would otherwise have been taken into custody directly from jails or prisons.
During these operations, any additional individuals encountered who are found to be in the country illegally are also detained.
The riots that took place last week in Los Angeles in response to ICE operations resulted in over $30 million in property damage, according to estimates released by city officials.
Border Czar Tom Homan, speaking on the urgency of the mission, said, “We have to arrest 7,000 every single day for the remainder of this administration just to catch the ones Biden released into the nation.”
TOM HOMAN: Deporting 3,000 illegals per day is not enough.
He just announced a NEW GOAL that might only be possible with the OBBB!
“For those that say 3,000 a day is too much…We have to arrest 7,000 every single day for the remainder of this administration just to catch the… pic.twitter.com/V4roiVOGmr
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) July 7, 2025
ACLU Deputy Director of Government Affairs Sarah Mehta criticized the legislation, stating, “In passing this bill, Congress is stripping lifesaving health care from millions of Americans to pay for an increasingly aggressive, dangerous, and obsessive deportation agenda.”
Mehta added, “With over $170 billion, ICE will become the largest law enforcement agency in the U.S., with a bigger budget than most of the world’s militaries. Armed with this funding, this administration will be able to multiply its violent raids and detain over 750,000 children, parents, and longtime residents in remote detention camps where, even now, people are dying.”
Several high-profile responses to Bass’s remarks came from X users. Author Peachy Keenan wrote, “Instead of dumping billions to give illegals free everything they’re using our money to do what we want them to do for once: removing millions of people who are draining American citizens dry.”
Instead of dumping billions to give illegals free everything they’re using our money to do what we want them to do for once: removing millions of people who are draining American citizens dry
— Peachy Keenan (@KeenanPeachy) July 5, 2025
Tomi Lahren added, “That’s what happens when Democrats let in 15 million people. Then we have to use a lot of resources to get them out, AND unfortunately they have to use even MORE resources because your stupid state doesn’t work with federal law-enforcement. YOU put your communities in danger and then complain that it’s costing too much when Trump has to clean up YOUR mess.”
That’s what happens when Democrats let in 15 million people. Then we have to use a lot of resources to get them out, AND unfortunately they have to use even MORE resources because your stupid state doesn’t work with federal law-enforcement. YOU put your communities in danger and…
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) July 5, 2025
Libs of TikTok responded, “Raise your hand if you voted for this!”
Raise your hand if you voted for this! ♀️ pic.twitter.com/Z6NhSDkx4V
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 6, 2025
New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez also opposed the funding increase, writing, “I don’t think anyone is prepared for what they just did w/ ICE. This is not just a simple budget increase. It is an explosion — making ICE bigger than the FBI, US Bureau of Prisons, DEA, & others combined. It is setting up to make what’s happening now look like child’s play. And people are disappearing.”
This is exactly what I voted for. Who else voted for this? pic.twitter.com/db23bjzpOo
— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) July 3, 2025
When one attorney raised concerns about the funding level, commentator Jack Posobiec responded, “Is this what you voted for?”
Is this what you voted for? pic.twitter.com/Y99ju9b6bd
— Jack Poso (@JackPosobiec) July 3, 2025
The reply, from users across the platform, was a clear “yes.”
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