LOS ANGELES (AP) — President Donald Trump’s administration on Monday sued Los Angeles, claiming the city is obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration laws and creating a lawless environment.
The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court says Los Angeles’ so-called “ sanctuary city ” ordinance hinders the White House’s efforts to crack down on what it calls a “crisis of illegal immigration.”
The Los Angeles policy bars city resources from being used for immigration enforcement and local departments from sharing information on people without legal status with federal immigration authorities.
The court filing calls the city ordinance “illegal” and asks that it be blocked from being enforced.
Messages seeking comment on the lawsuit were sent to the offices of Mayor Karen Bass and City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto.
The lawsuit claims Trump “won the presidential election on a platform of deporting the millions of illegal immigrants.” Over the past three weeks, immigration agents have swarmed Southern California, arresting hundreds of people and prompting protests.
Tens of thousands of people participated in rallies over immigration raids and the subsequent deployment of the National Guard and Marines. Los Angeles police have arrested over 100 people on various charges from throwing rocks at federal officers to setting fire to Waymo cars equpped with self-driving technology.
“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 court filing says.
On June 18, the mayor lifted a curfew she had imposed a week earlier to prevent vandalism and break-ins during nighttime protests. The demonstrations had been largely concentrated in a few downtown blocks that are home to several federal and local government buildings.
