(NewsNation) — The Justice Department has sued the city of Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass and the LA City Council over its “sanctuary” policies, which the DOJ claims hamper President Donald Trump’s crackdown on immigration.
A 21-page lawsuit argues the policies — which bar city resources from being used for immigration enforcement — “interfere with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.”
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi blamed those policies for last month’s unrest during protests against the administration’s sweeping immigration enforcement efforts.
Bondi alleges the violence got so out of hand that the National Guard had to be called in against the wishes of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has sued the Trump administration over its deployment of troops.
In a Monday statement, Bondi said in part, “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.”
LA City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, a co-author of LA’s sanctuary law, said Monday that the city would do everything in its power to protect its residents.
“Trump is tearing families apart” and trying to force cities and towns across the country to help him carry out his agenda, Soto-Martinez said in a statement.
The lawsuit could put the city’s sanctuary status in legal jeopardy, although it would require a lengthy legal process.
If a judge were to find merit in the Trump administration’s lawsuit, LA could see city workers being forced to cooperate with immigration officials and share information about people’s legal status. Immigration raids could also ramp up as a result.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.