Trump administration sues Los Angeles over its 'sanctuary city' policies

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration has sued the city of Los Angeles over its immigration policies, claiming the city's law discriminates against federal law enforcement agencies by treating them differently from other law enforcement authorities.

The lawsuit, which was filed in the Central District of California, notes up top that Donald Trump "campaigned and won the presidential election on a platform of deporting the millions of illegal immigrants the previous administration permitted, through its open borders policy, to enter the country unlawfully."

The suit, which names Mayor Karen Bass, the City Council and City Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as defendants, claims that Los Angeles' laws and policies obstruct the enforcement of immigration laws. A spokesperson for Bass did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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"Sanctuary policies were the driving cause of the violence, chaos, and attacks on law enforcement that Americans recently witnessed in Los Angeles," Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement. "Jurisdictions like Los Angeles that flout federal law by prioritizing illegal aliens over American citizens are undermining law enforcement at every level — it ends under President Trump."

The lawsuit comes weeks after protests over the administration's deportation efforts exploded in Los Angeles. The protesters — along with Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom — have become key targets for Trump and his allies.

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The Trump administration has taken an aggressive approach to immigration, reassigning resources from other areas to immigration enforcement. One of Bondi's first acts as attorney general was to announce a lawsuit against New York over its "sanctuary" policies.

In Los Angeles, Trump and Newsom squared off over the use of National Guard troops in the city in response to the protests.