LAPD Under Fire: Protesters Accuse Police of Aiding ICE, Violence, and Intimidation
Mayor Bass faces mounting pressure to remove Chief Jim McDonnell as activists share stories of brutality and federal cooperation despite Sanctuary City Law
Alexandria Augustine, a 25-year-old young Black woman and grassroots activist, has been arrested multiple times while protesting ICE immigration raids in Los Angeles.
In July, she was arrested again and charged and tried for assulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon. She spent 5 days in Federal prison. Federal prosecutors claimed the 15-ounce umbrella she was holding to protect herself from bear mace, pepper balls, and rubber bullets was considered a deadly weapon. In October, a jury found her not guilty.
At a virtual Immigrant Rights Town Hall meeting on Monday, November 3rd with Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, Alexandria called for the removal of Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell.
Grassroots activists say Chief McDonnell is “being influenced” by the Trump administration and defending LAPD’s actions as necessary in the name of “safety.”
Augustine was one of 400 people attending the virtual town hall — and one of more than a dozen who questioned the department’s ongoing use of force.
“Over the summer, hundreds of people were arrested and brutalized by LAPD officers who were improperly using less-than-lethal ammunition, trampling people with horses, illegally declaring unlawful assemblies, and using tear gas and bear mace to disperse crowds — all while misusing City Code 4118 [General Obstruction] to intimidate and harass protesters,” said Augustine.
She was arrested at the Metropolitan Detention Center on Alameda Street in downtown Los Angeles after documenting masked ICE agents in unmarked cars transporting men, women, and children in chains.
Since June 2025, LA Times reports The LAPD has arrested more than 2500 people in connection with protests and immigration raids.
“I know a lot of people have said LAPD isn’t assisting ICE and DHS — but they are,” said Taylor Marie Smith, another grassroots activist echoing calls for McDonnell’s removal. “The level of brutality, the intimidation — it’s clear that DHS makes a phone call and LAPD shows up.”
Los Angeles is a sanctuary city. The sanctuary city ordinance prohibits city resources, property, and personnel from being used for federal immigration enforcement. It was officially adopted by the City Council in November 2024 to codify existing protections into law and prevent cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
While LAPD maintains that it does not participate in federal immigration enforcement, Los Angeles Deputy Police Chief Emada Tingirides admitted, “We are caught in the middle.”
During the town hall, Tingirides added, “There are times when a radio call comes out — whether it’s a kidnapping call or federal immigration requesting help from LAPD for public safety reasons — LAPD does respond.”
Her comments immediately set off a wave of questions in the chat from attendees demanding answers from Mayor Bass. “How are you going to ensure that LAPD isn’t working with ICE?” one participant, Raina Pratto, wrote. “We’ve heard time and again they [LAPD] are not compliant with ICE, but then we see data and eyewitness experiences showing otherwise.”
Deputy Chief Tingirides acknowledged how it may look to the broader community but insisted, “Our primary mission and sole responsibility is to keep the peace so that you are safe.”
The grassroots activists who have been protesting and documenting activity near the Metropolitan Detention Center aren’t buying it. They claim that Trump appointee and Acting U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli, for the Central District of California, is influencing Chief McDonnell’s decisions.
The two have appeared together at news conferences, but Mayor Bass said she has no knowledge of the administration’s reach into LAPD affairs.
Activists also pointed to a recent LAPD personnel shake-up that they say was orchestrated by Essayli. Earlier this month, Chief McDonnell requested the resignation of LAPD’s public information director, Jennifer Forkish, after Essayli contacted department leaders alleging a leak from her office related to a press conference about an arrest in the Palisades Fire case, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Forkish denied the leak allegations, saying the chief cited a difference in long-term vision for the department’s public relations strategy. According to the LA Times, the department has recently been unresponsive when confronted with reports of officer abuse. LAPD faces multiple lawsuits for aggressive behavior toward journalists covering protests against the Trump administration over the summer, and a federal judge has since barred police from targeting reporters with less-lethal projectiles during demonstrations.
For months, activists have spoken at City Council meetings, demanding accountability, independent oversight, and a face-to-face with Mayor Bass. They argue that Chief McDonnell should be upholding the law and his oath — not taking cues from what they describe as the Trump administration’s orders to suppress protesters’ rights.
The Immigrant Rights virtual town hall was held in response to those calls for action.
When pressed on LAPD and Chief McDonnell’s actions, Mayor Bass said she has met with the chief about the department’s use of force but does not believe his tenure over a year warrants removal. Even if she did, she added, “I’m not going to answer that I want him removed in a webinar with 400 people on it.”
“I’ve seen several tapes that are very concerning to me,” Bass continued. “You might not see me having press conferences about it — and that might frustrate you — but I am very concerned. I’ve raised it and want it investigated.”
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