Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed concern this week over the impact of ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, warning that the city could face labor shortages if illegal immigrants are arrested or stop showing up to work, as reported by The New York Post.

Her comments came during an interview with Katie Couric, where she also blamed President Donald Trump for sparking anti-ICE protests that have led to days of unrest in the city.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass speaks at a press conference on Nov. 14, 2023, after a fire under Interstate 10 severely damaged the overpass in an industrial zone near downtown Los Angeles, Saturday on Nov. 11, 2023. The large blaze burned trailers, cars and other things in storage lots beneath a major highway near downtown Los Angeles, forcing the temporary closure of the roadway. It was announced at the press conference that repairs would take 3-5 weeks.

During the interview posted Tuesday on Couric’s YouTube channel, Bass stated:

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“My biggest fear is the impact that all Angelenos will begin to feel when the labor of immigrants is absent. We’ll feel it in the construction industry. We’ll feel it in hospitality. We’ll feel it at grocery stores. People will begin to notice.”

Bass added that the situation could significantly affect families that rely on services provided by immigrants, many of whom are in the country illegally.

“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. You know, you will feel it when your gardener goes away, and you don’t know where he or she is. So Angelenos will feel the absence of immigrant labor.”

According to Bass, she spoke with a resident who said local grocery store shelves were empty due to a lack of workers available to stock items. She also expressed concern about the emotional toll on families.

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“[T]o have parents who are not sure they could go to work, or to be fearful of letting their kids go to school, it disrupts families. It creates unbelievable pressure and tension. You can imagine the mental health impacts on the children, especially the children that are old enough to remember the last Trump administration or were old enough to remember COVID,” she said.

Bass has maintained that the immigration raids launched in Los Angeles contributed directly to the current wave of anti-ICE protests, many of which have turned violent. She has attributed the unrest to the fear generated by the enforcement actions.

It’s giving:

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Despite the criticism from city leaders, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) indicated it will not alter course.

“Secretary Noem has a message to the LA rioters: you will not stop us or slow us down. ICE will continue to enforce the law and arrest criminal illegal aliens,” DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin said Wednesday in a statement.

ICE operations have intensified in the wake of unrest in several major cities, with a focus on identifying and arresting illegal immigrants with criminal records. DHS has made clear that its enforcement priorities remain unchanged, even amid backlash from local officials.

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