Mayor Bass Signs Ordinance Codifying Her Executive Action to Prohibit Federal Immigration Enforcement on City Property

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LOS ANGELES - Mayor Karen Bass today signed an ordinance codifying components of her Executive Directive 17 to protect Los Angeles from federal immigration enforcement. Mayor Bass issued Executive Directive 17 in February to build on the City's efforts to combat federal overreach by the Trump administration and to prohibit the use of City property for staging of immigration enforcement actions.

Earlier this year, Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson introduced a motion to codify the Mayor's Executive Directive, a motion that was seconded by Councilmembers Hugo Soto-Martínez, Eunisses Hernandez, Ysabel Jurado, Curren Price, and Bob Blumenfield. That motion was adopted unanimously, and today, the City Council approved the draft ordinance for the Mayor's signature.

The signing of today's ordinance codified the following

• Requiring signage to be posted at City-owned lots or areas with open space stating that the property may not be used for staging, processing, or operations purposes by immigration enforcement agents.

• Requiring City departments to physically secure their sites to restrict unauthorized access by federal agents to non-public areas of City facilities.

• Requiring City contractors and bidders to disclose data sharing agreements with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Customs and Border Protection (CBP), or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

"The immigration raids may have left our daily headlines, but they haven't stopped. We cannot let our guard down. We have to keep working with our immigrant rights organizations, we have to keep supporting families, and we have to keep finding every legal tool available to protect our communities," said Mayor Bass. "That's why I'm proud that critical components of my Executive Directive 17 will be enshrined in City code. City government must be a source of trust and protection for the people we serve. We will continue to defend our communities, protect the integrity of our public institutions, and make sure Angelenos can access their City government without fear. This law makes clear that those principles are not temporary - they are part of how Los Angeles operates."

"Los Angeles belongs to all who call it home, and our duty to protect every resident is absolute," said Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson. "Thank you to Mayor Bass for providing the clear and decisive leadership to rebuke the assault on our undocumented neighbors. I appreciate my colleagues in joining me to make the safeguards in Executive Directive 17 permanent. Together, we will use every tool at our disposal to defend constitutional rights, uphold human dignity, and keep our neighborhoods safe."

"When the federal government comes into Los Angeles to terrorize immigrant communities, we need to know what they're doing, where they're going, and how our city can respond," said Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martínez. "Codifying Executive Directive 17 makes clear that City resources will not be used to help federal immigration enforcement, and that Angelenos have a right to know what's happening in their own city."

"When people turn to their City for help, they deserve to know that City property will not be used to stage immigration raids-and that companies seeking public contracts will be transparent about whether they share data with federal immigration agencies," said Councilmember Ysabel Jurado. "By codifying key protections from Executive Directive 17, we are creating lasting safeguards for our public spaces and strengthening accountability in how the City does business. Every Angeleno deserves to feel safe in their neighborhood and to trust that their government is working for them, not against them."

"Today, we are drawing a hard line and putting the force of law behind protections our neighbors can count on for the long term," said Councilmember Curren Price. "Our City's resources and the trust our communities place in us are off limits to efforts to terrorize our neighbors. Every Angeleno deserves to know their City has their back, regardless of immigration status. We will use every power available to us to protect them, and we will not back down."

"Every student deserves to walk into their schoolhouse feeling safe, welcomed and ready to learn. I know how much families carry with them when they send their children to school," said LAUSD Superintendent Andrés E. Chait. "No parent should have to choose between their child's education and their family's sense of safety. We are grateful to Mayor Bass and the Los Angeles City Council for strengthening protections for immigrant Angelenos. At Los Angeles Unified, we will keep doing our part to make sure every family knows they are welcome, every student knows they belong, and every child has the opportunity to learn and thrive."

"Codifying Executive Directive 17 sends a clear message that Los Angeles will not allow its public resources to be used to facilitate federal immigration enforcement. At a time when immigrant communities are facing unprecedented fear and disruption, permanent protections matter," said Angelica Salas, Executive Director, CHIRLA. "We commend the City for establishing clear, enforceable boundaries that protect public institutions, strengthen transparency and help ensure that all Angelenos can access the services they need without fear."

"Immigrant families should never have to live in fear of the very institutions they rely on for help," said Jocelyn Duarte, Executive Director, Salvadoran American Leadership and Educational Fund (SALEF). "By codifying Executive Directive 17 into law, Los Angeles is making clear that City resources must remain focused on serving Angelenos and protecting our communities. This is an important step toward ensuring that families can access their City government without fear, and that our children can grow up knowing their city stands with them."

"Today, Los Angeles is putting into law a principle that immigrant communities have been asking for," said Lindsay Toczylowski, CEO and Co-founder, Immigrant Defenders Law Center (ImmDef). "Our City government should be a place where people can seek services, go to work and care for their families knowing their city is taking steps to protect them from federal immigration enforcement. Codifying Executive Directive 17 strengthens that commitment and provides greater certainty for families who have lived, worked and built their lives in Los Angeles. Our communities deserve nothing less than public institutions that serve and protect them."