LOS ANGELES – Amid growing tensions and confusion over federal immigration enforcement actions in Los Angeles, LAPD Commander Lillian Carranza is pushing back against misinformation and clarifying the department’s role.
“I can sympathize with the fears, concerns, and anger of community members,” Carranza said. “However, we need to understand that each law enforcement agency has a role.”
Carranza stressed that the Los Angeles Police Department does not participate in immigration enforcement operations. While LAPD officers may be seen near such activity, their presence, she said, is limited.
“Our role is simply to keep the peace and restore order. We are not there to support or conduct immigration raids,” Carranza said. “That is not the job of the Los Angeles Police Department.”
Carranza said officers will step in when a situation escalates or becomes unsafe. She’s personally witnessed instances where individuals blocked vehicles or physically interfered with federal agents.
“What I have seen when I’ve been there is that they’re interfering, they’re obstructing, they’re blocking the vehicles, and that is illegal,” she said.
As federal agents continue operations in public spaces, a common question has surfaced: Where’s the warrant? Carranza clarified that when federal immigration officers operate in public, they are not legally required to present a warrant.
“There’s a lot of misinformation that they need to show a warrant or have probable cause for an arrest out in public,” she said. “That’s simply not true. A warrant is only needed to enter a home or a business.”
In some cases, Carranza said LAPD has received calls reporting suspected kidnappings, only to discover the situation involved federal agents executing a lawful arrest. She said if a call is made out of genuine concern, that’s not an issue, but if it’s determined that the report was knowingly false, the caller could face criminal charges.
Commander Carranza also emphasized that community members have the right to protest—and LAPD will protect that right.
“You can exercise your First Amendment rights. We will be more than happy to facilitate and protect that,” she said.
But she drew a firm line between peaceful protest and unlawful interference.
“When you cross the line is when you start interfering with the officer’s duties, when you invade their workspace, when you put hands on them, spit, throw objects, or block their path or vehicles,” Carranza said. “That’s when you could be arrested—and face federal charges.”
Carranza’s message: community concern is understandable, but facts matter, and the LAPD’s role remains rooted in public safety, not immigration enforcement.
Los AngelesDonald J. TrumpImmigrationCaliforniaLAPDCrime and Public Safety