At a Sunday accountability assembly at Precious Blood Church in Westlake, Mayor Karen Bass and Councilmember Nithya Raman faced questions about immigration enforcement, homelessness and safety near MacArthur Park, along with sidewalk repair and sex trafficking. Hundreds of Angelenos from different faith backgrounds attended the One LA-IAF forum, where organizers asked whether each candidate would continue working with the coalition and gave them one minute to respond. The exchange highlighted the candidates’ commitments on immigration and treatment, as well as residents’ concerns about daily life around the park, just weeks before the November 3 runoff.
Among the most pointed moments, as reported by LAist, came when Noemi Tagorda, a parent of a student at Precious Blood School, addressed Bass directly about public safety, saying MacArthur Park is no longer a place where people can relax. Manuel Olvera, a member of St. Anthony Catholic Church in San Gabriel, shared a story on behalf of a fellow immigrant churchgoer who was too afraid to speak himself — describing how the man and his son lost their jobs amid the current immigration enforcement climate and had lived off savings for months. Olvera said the man’s home now felt like a prison.
Candidates Pledge Immigration Support
Raman, who immigrated from India at age 6, committed to hosting an immigration retreat and meeting with One LA-IAF, and said that if elected mayor she would increase immigrant legal defense funding and ensure people facing deportation have resources. Bass likewise committed to working with the organization, telling the crowd her office had partnered with One LA-IAF on an immigration hearing that became an official congressional hearing, and said she hoped for a shift in the House of Representatives in about 25 days. Bass agreed to host a retreat and attend in person, saying she believed One LA-IAF already met regularly with her office.
The exchange over legal defense funding carries real financial weight. The Los Angeles City Council approved $1.5 million for the immigrant legal defense program in the final budget earlier this year, after Bass had proposed cutting those funds in the previous city budget cycle. According to the Los Angeles Times, city officials wrestled with a nearly $1 billion budget deficit last year, and the City Council clawed back $1 million from the program during budget negotiations. Per CalMatters, the city created the Los Angeles Justice Fund in 2017, which is now known as RepresentLA.
Homelessness and Treatment Divide
On homelessness, Bass said she would focus on distinguishing drug dealers from drug users and advocate residential drug treatment if elected to a second term, arguing that people who prey on others should be separated from people with addictions who need treatment. Raman argued that a compassionate response to homelessness can coexist with resident safety, citing a 50% reduction in people living on the street in her council district last year. She also said city needs exceed available resources and committed to further partnership with One LA-IAF.
What city records show
The budget debate described above is one part of how the city has delivered immigrant legal services. A Los Angeles Community Investment for Families Department report says RepresentLA provided removal-defense representation, affirmative legal representation, legal orientation and pro se assistance to 9,899 individuals through February 2025…