Mayor Karen Bass, the first woman in office, is running for a second term, highlighting her record on defending immigrants' rights, which she considers key to gaining the trust of Latino voters in her reelection campaign, as well as her work on housing and managing the safety of the city of Los Angeles; however, she is dogged by a less than positive perception of her handling of last year's wildfires. In an interview with La Opinion, the mayor spoke about her accomplishments and her confidence in leading the second largest city in the United States for a second term. As of February 12, 2026, Karen Bass, Rae Chen Huang, Spencer Pratt, Nithya Raman, and 37 others were candidates in the nonpartisan primary for mayor of Los Angeles, to be held on June 2, 2026. “Out of Los Angeles” Among the latest immigration measures she has taken to prevent human rights violations against migrants by ICE, Mayor Bass spoke about Executive Order 17, which prohibits immigration agents from using city property. “My message to ICE agents is clear: stay out of Los Angeles. You are not welcome on city property. This executive order creates a formal rule, so if ICE agents attempt to use city property, staff must ask them to leave.” that they withdraw and document the incident.

“This empowers staff and provides clear guidelines for action, indicating strong city opposition to unauthorized federal presence.

“Ordinance 17 directly prohibits ICE operations in municipal spaces. The goal is to protect immigrant communities and ensure that city staff feel empowered to address such a challenge and demand compliance with city law.”

What will happen if they don't comply with this ordinance?

“If they don't comply, we will address it by documenting the incident. So far, ICE has withdrawn when asked. There are examples of them attempting to sneak into police parking lots,fire station parking lots or other municipal properties. And they were asked to leave.

“The executive directive gives city staff a formal procedure for handling these situations and reducing intimidation when confronting masked ICE agents.

“So far, ICE has complied with previous requests to vacate city properties,” Bass stated.

Besides Executive Order 17, what other specific measures have you taken to defend immigrants?

“I signed Executive Order 12 [the “Sanctuary City” order] in 2025, which prohibits the use of city resources for federal immigration enforcement, and I also launched a philanthropically supported program that provided $1 million in cash assistance to families impacted by raids, without using city funds.

“The mayor’s office also distributed “red cards” to inform immigrants of their rights and established a task force with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and immigrant rights organizations.

“In addition, I ordered that all city departments have Immigrant Affairs Liaisons to facilitate access to services.

“And, after the raids, the mayor's office worked with the council members to organize virtual seminars for downtown Los Angeles businesses, offering them assistance in restoring facilities, accessing legal services, and addressing staffing shortages.

“My commitment is and will continue to be to support these immigrant families who have been the hardest hit by the raids,” the mayor stated.

The priority is protecting the lives of Angelenos.

After some polls didn't reflect well on her response to two of the most serious wildfires in Southern California (Eaton, with more county responsibility; Pacific Palisades, with more city responsibility), despite her emergency declaration, resource mobilization, and reconstruction programs, Mayor Bass explains everything she did to not only prevent further damage, but to expedite the recovery of the victims.

“From the very beginning, my priority as Mayor of Los Angeles has been to protect lives and support the affected communities. The Palisades Fire was the most destructive in our history, and the city immediately mobilized emergency response teams. Following the fires, I ordered a comprehensive investigation to identify where we can improve and be better prepared for future natural disasters.

“I want to be clear that I categorically reject the allegations that I influenced or “softened” the 2025 Palisades Fire post-fire report.The reports about my alleged involvement are simply fabrications.

“My focus is and remains on serving Angelenos, supporting the families affected by the fires… Every day we continue to work with determination, focused on strengthening housing, safety, and our city’s preparedness for major world events,” the mayor emphasized.

Decrease in Homelessness

Unlike previous mayors, since taking office in December 2022, Karen Bass’s administration has achieved, for the first time in six years, a consecutive reduction in homelessness in Los Angeles.

“The number of people on the streets decreased by 17.5%, encampments among those living in vehicles decreased by 13.5%, and in 2025, there were 1,704 fewer people experiencing homelessness.

“With my Inside Safe initiative, more than 3,600 people were moved from encampments to hotels, and more than 23,000 in temporary housing, while permanent placements nearly doubled.

“In addition, we launched “House, Our Vets,” helping homeless veterans access safe housing and support services.

“We also expedited affordable housing with over 25,000 units, reduced wait times by 75%, used over 3,300 emergency vouchers, and helped 23,000 residents avoid evictions.

“In 2025, the city counted 43,699 homeless individuals, down 3.9% (1,704) from 2024,” the mayor emphasized.

La Opinion: Latino activists and civil and immigrant rights advocates say LAPD Chief Jim McDonald has lost the trust of the Latino community, not only because of the direct or indirect protection of the ICE raids, and provided videos that they say prove it. How will you ensure that Chief McDonald's actions do not contradict your efforts to protect or be an ally of the Latino community?

Karen Bass: “That's another reason for the executive directive [17]. The order instructs the Police Commission to develop implementation guidelines on the no-mask policy. And I think Chief McDonald could communicate in another way. That would be helpful.”

How difficult will it be for the city and the Los Angeles Police Department to regain trust, especially among immigrants?

“I understand. Although trust remains intact, certain statements he has made have caused concern among people. I believe actions speak louder than words.”

Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) officers are required to wear and activate body cameras (BWCs) during all field encounters, including calls for service, traffic stops, searches, and arrests.The policies require activation upon arrival at scenes and, starting in 2026, during interactions with federal immigration authorities. Recordings must be uploaded daily. When will this be implemented?

“Immediately. When LAPD officers are present at an ICE crowd control raid, they must activate their body cameras. This requirement ensures that there is a record of all interactions, even if ICE and Border Patrol do not use cameras, adding a layer of oversight to federal actions in the city.”

Some critics, including the ACLU of Southern California, have criticized the policy for allowing officers under investigation to view their body camera recordings before testifying. How do you address this to ensure full transparency?

“I am not familiar with the ACLU’s claim.”

How confident are you of winning?

“I am hopeful.”

We have accomplished a great deal, and I will work diligently to finish our work on homelessness, safety, and preparing for major events.”

What is the best thing you can offer Angelenos?

Karen Bass: “The best thing I can offer Angelenos is a significant reduction in street homelessness by selectively removing major encampments and connecting people with permanent housing.

“The city is permitting 40,000 new homes and building thousands more. Our work to install more powerful solar streetlights is aimed at reducing crime and making neighborhoods safer. These policies have immediate and visible impacts on both homelessness and public safety in Los Angeles.”

But how will you convince a Latino voter to vote for you?

“I have fought against ICE and supported immigrant rights for decades. Latino voters can count on my continued commitment and leadership.”

Any goals you haven't yet achieved?

“A much more significant reduction in homelessness. We've dismantled all the major encampments. Where you'd see like 10 tents in a row. I want to continue developing the Community Safety Bureau, which is a way of addressing safety that's not driven by law enforcement, but by the community. I want to make sure we don't lose any more officers. It's not even about increasing the number of officers. It's about hiring,” he concluded.

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