Newsman: Federal authorities staged immigration raids across Los Angeles, but local police and officials say they are being kept in the dark — a lack of communication the city’s leaders blame for hurting their response to escalating protests.
“We do not know where and when the next raids will be. That is the concern,” L.A. Mayor Karen Bass said on CNN Monday. “When we find out when and where the other raids are going to happen, that will determine how the police respond.”
The Department of Homeland Security spokesperson disputed Los Angeles city leaders’ claims after the CNN report was published.
In response to Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell’s statement that “LAPD was not given advance notice that the federal operations would occur in that area” of Friday’s immigration enforcement, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement, “FALSE. The Los Angeles Police Department was notified two days before the ICE operation began in LA.”
McLaughlin did not disclose details of what kind of information DHS shared with LAPD in advance of ICE operations.
Jim McDonnell on Tuesday, asked about McLaughlin’s statement, stood by his earlier comments. “Per Chief McDonnell, the Department was not notified,” an LAPD spokesperson told CNN.
Bass also reiterated that point on Tuesday afternoon when asked by reporters about whether federal authorities communicated with police or other local authorities.
“I talked to the chief an hour ago. No, we’re not notified of anything,” she said.
Asked when she first learned of the raids on Friday, Bass said she heard about them as the raids were occurring. “I was notified when the raids were happening,” she said.
The US attorney for California’s Central District suggested in an interview on Sunday that sanctuary policies were to blame for keeping L.A. law enforcement at arm’s length.
“We understand that they are not going to help us in immigration enforcement. We did not seek their assistance for any immigration-related operations,” Bill Essayli told NBC Los Angeles.
ICE generally decides whether to share advance warning of raids on a case-by-case basis, said Kieran Donahue, president of the National Sheriffs’ Association.
“In most areas, local agencies work collaboratively with ICE, receiving advance notice of enforcement actions and sometimes even providing support to help ensure public safety,” said Donahue, who is sheriff in Canyon County, Idaho.
Donahue added, “However, in sanctuary jurisdictions like Los Angeles, ICE may refrain from notifying local officials in advance due to concerns that those officials may obstruct or interfere with federal operations.”
McDonnell said because his department was not given advance notice of the ICE operations, “we were not prepositioned to respond immediately to unrest related to those actions.”
LAPD’s response was delayed because of an inability to plan for appropriate staffing and equipment, the agency said. By the time the department received a call for help, hundreds of demonstrators had gathered and federal agents had already deployed irritants — creating what an LAPD press release called a “hazardous environment” for officers.
In a statement Saturday, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons said the LAPD took more than two hours to respond to multiple calls for assistance with the unrest. McDonnell said his department responded within 38 minutes.
