Trump’s DOJ Sues Los Angeles, Karen Bass for Harboring Illegal Aliens [WATCH]

The U.S. Department of Justice filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the city of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass, and the city council over local sanctuary laws that bar cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, alleges that the city’s policies violate the Constitution’s Supremacy Clause by obstructing federal immigration operations.

🚨 BREAKING: The Trump DOJ is SUING the city of Los Angeles in an effort to FORCE them to drop their sanctuary city status

The DOJ argues LA is violating the Supremacy Clause of the Constitution by refusing to treat federal law enforcement the same as local.

They intentionally… pic.twitter.com/MlRFsmrOBs

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) June 30, 2025

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The lawsuit comes weeks after the Trump administration deployed the California National Guard and U.S. Marines to Los Angeles in response to violent unrest tied to protests against immigration enforcement.

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The Justice Department claims that the city’s refusal to cooperate with federal authorities fueled chaos and directly impeded efforts to enforce federal immigration law.

“The challenged law and policies of the City of Los Angeles obstruct the Federal Government’s enforcement of federal immigration law and impede consultation and communication between federal, state, and local law enforcement officials that is necessary for federal officials to carry out federal immigration law and keep Americans safe,” the DOJ stated in the lawsuit.

According to the Justice Department, Los Angeles’s sanctuary policies created a dangerous environment, leading to lawlessness and violence.

The lawsuit says that since June 6, 2025, the city’s refusal to coordinate with federal immigration authorities has contributed to rioting, looting, and vandalism.

“The practical upshot of Los Angeles’ refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities has, since June 6, 2025, been lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism,” the DOJ said in its complaint.

“The situation became so dire that the Federal Government deployed the California National Guard and United States Marines to quell the chaos.”

The complaint targets a local ordinance passed shortly before President Donald Trump was sworn in for his second term in January.

It names Mayor Bass, the Los Angeles City Council, and Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as defendants.

As part of its evidence, the DOJ cited public statements by city officials.

During a recent city council meeting, Councilwoman Imelda Padilla asked Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell whether it would be possible to give council members advance notice of impending immigration raids.

McDonnell replied that such an action would be “completely inappropriate and illegal.”

Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a statement Monday following the filing of the lawsuit.

“Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles,” Bondi said.

“Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level — it ends under President Trump.”

The legal challenge against Los Angeles follows a similar lawsuit the DOJ filed earlier this year against the city of Chicago.

In that case, the Justice Department also cited violations of the Supremacy Clause due to laws that restrict local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.

The lawsuits reference prior rulings by the U.S. Supreme Court, including the 2012 case Arizona v. United States, in which the Court held that states “may not pursue policies that undermine federal law.”

Although that decision addressed state efforts to increase immigration enforcement, the Justice Department argues that the same principle applies to state and local jurisdictions that obstruct enforcement through sanctuary policies.

The case against Los Angeles marks another step in the Trump administration’s ongoing effort to challenge sanctuary jurisdictions through the courts.

The outcome of this lawsuit could have implications for other cities and states with similar policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.