Bass: We Can’t Absorb More Migrant Buses Because of Homelessness ‘Crisis’ — I Defend Sanctuary Status that Requires Spending on Migrants 

On Thursday’s broadcast of NPR’s “All Things Considered,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass defended the city codifying its sanctuary city status and acknowledged that being a sanctuary city will spend city resources on migrants and also said that they can’t handle any more buses of migrants sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) or any other Republican officials because “we are in the middle of a crisis where we are not able to provide housing for Angelenos” and more buses “would exacerbate that crisis.”

Bass said that she was surprised Los Angeles hadn’t officially codified its sanctuary city status, because “from my point of view, L.A. had been a sanctuary city from years ago. I did not realize it hadn’t been codified into law. The primary reason for that is to protect immigrants, because we don’t want the Los Angeles Police Department essentially doing the work of ICE, of immigration. Undocumented immigrants are vulnerable. And if they feel like they can’t report a crime, they can’t call public officials or they might be deported, then that compromises the safety of all Angelenos.”

Co-host Juana Summers then asked, “Well, the way I understand it, and I’m just reading from a news release here, this city ordinance ensures that no city resources, property, or personnel are to be used for federal immigration enforcement. So, does this mean, then, that being a sanctuary city essentially translates into Los Angeles is prepared to spend city resources, property, and personnel to help migrants find shelter and services? Is that something that you would stand by as the Mayor of the city?”

Bass answered, “Well, of course. This is a city of immigrants. We have people here from over 100 countries. And obviously, we want to make sure that anybody in our city is protected. We are also a city that has 40,000 unhoused people. And so, we are in the middle of a crisis where we are not able to provide housing for Angelenos. But that should never be an excuse for there to be an anti-immigrant sentiment. And what the governors are doing in these other cities is just a reflection of their xenophobia, of their anti-immigrant ideology. And it’s really political. This is in preparation for the 2024 election. The Republicans plan to run on an anti-immigrant platform, just like they have been doing pretty consistently over the last few years.”

Summers then asked, “But is this city, is Los Angeles in a position to absorb more busloads of migrants should Gov. Abbott or any other Republican leaders send more busloads this way?”

Bass answered, “No, that — well, that’s why I said if what happened to New York happened in Los Angeles, it would send a city that is already in a crisis and it would exacerbate that crisis.”

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