What does the city’s vision for its citizens look like when put face-to-face with the federal government’s agenda? Los Angeles is once again the epicenter of this question, as Mayor Karen Bass and Immigration and Customs Enforcement throw hay publicly regarding sanctuary city policies and immigration enforcement in California’s future.

The Justice Department is suing the city of Los Angeles over its so-called “sanctuary city” policy passed in the weeks following Donald Trump’s 2024 presidential election victory that prevents city resources from going toward immigration enforcement.