Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass sparked outrage after blatantly blowing off a key event marking the Palisades Fire anniversary to protest a federal ICE raid. Bass was expected to join Gov. Gavin Newsom and Sen. Alex Padilla at the commemoration of the Palisades and Eaton Fires but chose instead to show up at an immigration enforcement operation in a bid to halt it.
Her absence at the fire event went unexplained, with one official citing an “emergent event.” That event, it turned out, was Bass’s appearance at the ICE raid—another in a series of anti-enforcement stunts that have defined her administration.
Under Bass’s leadership, Los Angeles has poured more money into homeless services than firefighting. Meanwhile, rebuilding in fire-ravaged areas remains stalled due to red tape—an issue even Democrat Gov. Newsom acknowledged, calling for “local permitting… to be accelerated.”
Bass’s latest move comes as the Department of Justice sues Los Angeles over its sanctuary city policies, which the federal government says discriminate against law enforcement. Rather than support first responders or fire victims, Bass continues to cater to far-left demands, even defending anti-ICE riots by blaming President Donald Trump and claiming the unrest would stop if immigration enforcement ceased.
Bass also previously broke her promise not to leave the country during emergencies—vacationing abroad while the Palisades Fire burned.
As she campaigns for re-election, Bass has made it clear: ideology takes priority over public safety.
