Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass faced sharp backlash Tuesday after demanding that federal immigration agents “go home,” a remark that quickly drew national attention and reignited scrutiny of her past decisions during public crises.

“We would like the ICE raids to stop. We would like the array of federal officials or civilians dressed as federal officials to go home,” Bass said at a press conference addressing a Department of Justice (DOJ) lawsuit targeting Los Angeles over its sanctuary city policies. 

When pressed on whether a compromise was possible with federal authorities, she replied, “The deal that needs to be made is for them to go home.”

Federal immigration officials responded swiftly and forcefully. 

“If she wants distance from federal law enforcement, I’m sure there is an upcoming diplomatic trip to Ghana,” said Emily Covington, assistant director for ICE’s Office of Public Affairs.

Covington’s jab referenced Bass’s controversial trip to Ghana earlier this year—an absence that drew criticism as wildfires scorched parts of Los Angeles, as Resist the Mainstream previously reported. 

The mayor later acknowledged regret over her January trip to Ghana. 

“Absolutely it is [a mistake],” she said in a February interview with NBC Los Angeles. “I have to demonstrate every day by showing what we’re doing, what is working, what are the challenges.”

ICE made clear it has no plans to scale back its operations in the area. 

“ICE isn’t going anywhere and will continue to do what Mayor Bass has utterly failed to do—protect the citizens of Los Angeles,” Covington added in a statement to Fox News.

The clash underscored the growing divide between federal immigration enforcement and Los Angeles leadership. 

Protests have erupted across the city in recent weeks as ICE stepped up enforcement actions. 

Bass has accused the agency of provoking unrest by targeting community spaces such as schools, emergency rooms and homeless shelters.

“Last Thursday, ICE entered our city and provoked the city by chasing people through Home Depots and car washes and showing up at schools and, today, showing up at emergency rooms and homeless shelters,” Bass said last month, per Fox News. 

She further claimed the unrest served as a justification for deploying federal forces. 

“They used this as a pretext to send the U.S. Marines into an American city, which will target our own citizens,” she claimed.

Bass also came under fire for suggesting that the absence of illegal workers could affect families who depend on them for domestic labor. 

 “My biggest fear is the impact that all Angelenos will begin to feel when the labor of immigrants is absent,” she said in a recent interview, highlighting the vital role illegal workers play in the city’s workforce.

“You think about the mothers who have nannies and housekeepers. They will feel it when there’s nobody to do childcare and there’s nobody to take their kids to school.”

As the DOJ lawsuit advances and immigration tensions rise, ICE confirmed it will maintain enforcement operations throughout Los Angeles and the surrounding region.

NEW: ICE responds to Bass w/ blistering statement & pokes her over her Ghana visit:

“ICE isn’t going anywhere and will continue to do what Mayor Bass has utterly failed to do – protect the citizens of Los Angeles. If she wants distance from federal law enforcement, I’m sure…

— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) July 1, 2025