Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass expressed concerns during an Axios event about the possibility of planes filled with illegal immigrants being flown into the city. She mentioned that Los Angeles is a city that welcomes immigrants but voiced her fear that such scenarios could occur.
Bass also commented on the transportation of immigrants from border states and Florida to “sanctuary” jurisdictions, stating that it could be a strategy setting the stage for the upcoming presidential election. Several Republican governors, facing challenges related to illegal immigration, have sent busloads of migrants to cities like New York City, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Los Angeles, which has designated itself as a sanctuary city. This has occurred as part of initiatives like Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star.
Abbott continued sending buses to Los Angeles even during adverse weather conditions caused by Tropical Storm Hilary, a move criticized by Bass. The operation aims to provide relief to border communities grappling with the immigration crisis.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had also transported groups of migrants from border states to Sacramento earlier, with similar efforts involving Venezuelans traveling to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts in the preceding fall.
Bass characterized the actions of Republican governors as attempts to “destabilize cities” and suggested that they were exploiting the narrative of chaos in Democratic-run cities.
Illegal immigrants entering Los Angeles reportedly come from countries such as Mexico, El Salvador, Honduras, and Venezuela. Los Angeles County has one of the highest concentrations of illegal immigrants in the United States, with an estimated 951,000 residing there in 2019, accounting for nearly 10% of the county’s population, according to the Migration Policy Institute.
The transportation of migrants to sanctuary cities has been a contentious issue, highlighting the complexities of immigration policies and their implications for local communities.