Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass spoke at City Hall on Tuesday morning, a day after the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit claiming that the city's  are illegal and "interfere with and discriminate against the Federal Government's enforcement of federal immigration law."

Bass called the lawsuit an "all-out assault against Los Angeles." She explained that on June 5, the city was calm, and families were getting ready to celebrate school graduations and the next day, immigration operations ramped up and federal agents "decided to disrupt the city."

"The lawsuit is an attempt to overturn the will of the city, calling for a halt to longstanding policy to protect immigrant Angelenos," Bass said.

In the , Justice Department prosecutors argue that a city ordinance signed by Bass in December, , prevents U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents from carrying out their duties under federal law in violation of the Constitution's .

Court documents also name the Los Angeles City Council and Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson as defendants in the lawsuit.

The lawsuit accuses city officials of working to "thwart the will of the American people" by codifying sanctuary policies into law shortly after President Trump's victory in the November 2024 election.

U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California said Monday that the "lawsuit holds the City of Los Angeles accountable for deliberately obstructing the enforcement of federal immigration law."

Bass said that the city has had immigration policies in place for decades and her office is committed to defending the ordinance and the rights of residents. She added that attorneys are reviewing the lawsuit and will determine how to proceed.

"Let me be clear, I personally won't be intimidated by these tactics, we will not be intimidated by these tactics," she said.

Following immigration actions across Southern California in June, protests erupted in downtown LA that led to violence between some demonstrators and law enforcement. Bass alleges that President Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marine troops to the region was a form of intimidation. The Trump administration maintains that the National Guard and Marines are needed to protect federal agents and facilities in LA.