City Council orders report on LAPD responses to federal immigration operations after community complaints

The Los Angeles City Council on July 1 voted to require a set of reports and reviews about Los Angeles Police Department responses to requests for support from federal immigration enforcement agencies, after weeks of public testimony and council concern about recent immigration raids and the presence of unmarked, armed actors in neighborhoods.

Councilmember Eunice Hernandez introduced the motion asking the city attorney to report back in 15 days on any laws that obligate LAPD to respond to requests from other law enforcement agencies and whether municipal policy or code can be changed to better protect constitutional rights. The motion also directed the Chief Legislative Analyst to review how other jurisdictions handle requests for local support of federal immigration enforcement and directed LAPD to report on every call it responded to from other agencies between June 6 and June 20, including who requested assistance, which officers were deployed, actions taken on scene and whether any weapons (including less-than-lethal) were used. The board of police commissioners was asked to review whether additional policy guidance is needed to align LAPD response with law and city policy.

The motion followed public testimony from family members and community organizers who described detentions and disappearances of community members, and from council members who said residents—particularly immigrant, AAPI and other communities—were fearful following reports of raids and unmarked vehicles. Councilmember Price opened public comment with an account of a community member who was detained; another speaker, Guadalupe Gonzalez, said her relatives had sought help but encountered conflicting or missing information from federal agencies. Councilmember Hernandez said the motion was intended to ensure constitutional protections are respected and to promote transparency.

The council voted to approve the motion; the clerk recorded the item as adopted with 14 ayes. The motion does not itself change LAPD practices immediately; rather it requires a sequence of reports and a review of LAPD incidents and policies so the council can consider whether to pursue legal or policy changes. Council members spoke about the need to verify federal warrants at the scene, confirm the identities of federal agents, and to ensure LAPD personnel do not exceed legally required actions during joint operations. Several members urged urgency and clarity to protect civil rights while the city awaits the reports.

The motion directs: (1) the City Attorney to report in 15 days on legal requirements and options; (2) the CLA to review other municipalities' practices regarding local support for federal immigration enforcement; (3) LAPD to report in 15 days on each request for assistance from other law enforcement between June 6–20 (who requested it, officers deployed, actions taken, weapons used); and (4) that the Board of Police Commissioners consider additional policy guidance to ensure LAPD responses align with law and city policy.

Councilmembers framed the step as a fact-finding, transparency and policy-gap exercise, not as immediate suspension of any interagency cooperation. The item passed on the council floor vote recorded at the meeting.