LOS ANGELES (AP) \u2014 President Donald Trump\u2019s administration filed suit Monday against Los Angeles, claiming the city is obstructing the enforcement of immigration laws and creating a lawless environment with its sanctuary policies that bar local police from sharing information on people without legal status. <\/p>\n
The lawsuit in U.S. District Court says Los Angeles\u2019 \u201c sanctuary city\u201d<\/a> ordinance hinders White House efforts to crack down on what it calls a \u201ccrisis of illegal immigration.\u201d It is the latest in a string of lawsuits against so-called sanctuary jurisdictions \u2014 including New York,<\/a>New Jersey<\/a> and Colorado<\/a> \u2014 that limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities.<\/p>\n The Los Angeles policy bars city resources from being used for immigration enforcement. The court filing calls the city ordinance \u201cillegal\u201d and asks that it be blocked from being enforced.<\/p>\n Chad Mizelle, chief of staff for U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, said in announcing the latest lawsuit that the administration will not tolerate any interference with the federal government\u2019s crackdown.<\/p>\n \u201cWe will keep enforcing federal immigration law in Los Angeles, whether or not the city\u2019s government or residents agree with it,\u201d Mizelle said in a social media post on the platform X.<\/p>\n A message seeking comment on the lawsuit was sent to the office of Mayor Karen Bass. <\/p>\n A spokesperson for City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto said the city\u2019s ordinance was \u201ccarefully drafted\u201d and complies with federal law and constitutional principles separating state and federal powers. <\/p>\n \u201cOur city remains committed to standing up for our constitutional rights and the rights of our residents,\u201d said spokesperson Ivor Pine.<\/p>\n Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, a co-author of the Los Angeles sanctuary law, said Monday that the city would do everything in its power to protect its residents. <\/p>\n He said in a statement that \u201cTrump is tearing families apart\u201d and trying to force cities and towns across the country to help him carry out his agenda. <\/p>\n \u201cWe refuse to stand by and let Donald Trump deport innocent families,\u201d he added. <\/p>\n The Los Angeles lawsuit claims Trump \u201cwon the presidential election on a platform of deporting the millions of illegal immigrants.\u201d Over the past three weeks, immigration agents have swarmed Southern California, arresting hundreds of people and prompting protests. <\/p>\n Tens of thousands of people participated in rallies over immigration raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard<\/a> and Marines<\/a>. Los Angeles police have arrested over 100 people on various charges from throwing rocks at federal officers to setting fire to Waymo cars equipped with self-driving technology.<\/p>\n \u201cThe practical upshot of Los Angeles\u2019 refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities has, since June 6, 2025, been lawlessness, rioting, looting, and vandalism,\u201d the court filing says. <\/p>\n