If there were ever a poster child for why leftist mayors shouldn’t interfere with federal law enforcement, it’s Karen Bass. The mayor of Los Angeles—who seems to think she’s running her own private sanctuary city-state—has found herself at the center of a political firestorm after what looks a lot like obstruction of justice. Yep, we’re talking about her little cameo during an ICE operation in the Westlake District, where she waltzed into a federal enforcement scene, got on the phone with someone at the DOJ, and basically tried to flex her anti-border, anti-Trump credentials in front of the cameras.
Calls are now pouring in demanding her arrest. And rightfully so.
Picture it: ICE agents are in the middle of a coordinated raid near MacArthur Park. There are helicopters overhead, agents on horseback, and then here comes Mayor Bass—phone in hand, talking to someone high up, and refusing to cooperate with the agents’ requests. One agent, clearly trying to maintain order in a tense environment, asks for the phone back. Bass eventually complies, but not before making it clear that she thinks ICE should pack up and get out of her city.
“They need to leave, and they need to leave right now!” she shouted, arms crossed like a playground hall monitor who’s mad someone tracked mud into her sandbox. Really? That’s the tone you take with federal law enforcement who are doing their job?
Let’s not forget the backdrop here. This wasn’t a friendly neighborhood picnic. This is L.A., where immigration-related riots last month left one person dead, hundreds arrested, and businesses looted. So when ICE shows up to do their job, you’d think the mayor would either stay out of the way or help maintain order. Instead, she played political theater for the cameras and then ducked out in a city vehicle like she’d done something noble.
Critics are absolutely right to call this obstruction. Video footage shows Bass weaving through the crowd, followed by a clearly annoyed federal agent. If this were any Republican mayor interfering with a federal ATF or FBI operation under a Democrat administration, the media would be screaming for an indictment by sundown.
But because Bass has that golden progressive halo, the usual suspects will call this “heroic.” Spare us.
Meanwhile, Bass is still recovering from her wildfire absenteeism fiasco. She was off gallivanting overseas while L.A. choked on smoke, breaking her own campaign promise to stay local. Add this ICE stunt to the list, and it’s clear she’s more interested in optics and narrative-building than leadership.
If she’s not arrested, she should at least be investigated. Because last time we checked, interfering with a federal operation—whether you’re the mayor or the mailman—is still a crime.
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