Karen Bass responds to box truck Border Patrol raid

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass (D) is voicing her anger at the Department of Homeland Security's recent operation in her city that utilized a rented box truck to conceal U.S. Border Patrol agents.

As previously reported, Border Patrol agents arrived at a Home Depot parking lot in the box truck and jumped out to catch illegal aliens off guard. DHS said 16 illegal aliens from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras, and Nicaragua were arrested in Operation Trojan Horse.

'For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again.'

Bass said the raid was "not acceptable" and that she will work hard to make sure the Trump administration follows the federal temporary restraining order put in place to end alleged discrimination and racial profiling during enforcement operations.

Bass also explained that the deportation operations have taken a toll on the local economy, as illegal immigrants are not leaving their houses like they used to, according to KABC-TV.

"When one breadwinner, one wage-earner, is gone and disappears — to survive in our city, economically, you need two, three, and four wage-earners to keep housing, to keep food on the table, to keep clothes on your kids," Bass said. "When that is taken away from you, that just doesn't destabilize a family, that destabilizes a neighborhood. It destabilizes businesses. It destabilizes a community."

RELATED: 'Deeply unserious': DHS hits back at Democrats denied entry at detention facility

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The Trump administration has made clear it will enforce federal law in Southern California. Gregory Bovino, the commander for operations in California, has been posting videos showing agents arresting illegal aliens in the areas affected by the TRO.

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"For those who thought immigration enforcement had stopped in Southern California, think again. The enforcement of federal law is not negotiable, and there are no sanctuaries from the reach of the federal government," said Bill Essayli, acting U.S. attorney for the Central District of California.

Update: A senior DHS official said in a statement to Blaze News in response to Bass' comments, "What makes someone a target for immigration enforcement is if they are illegally in the U.S.— NOT their skin color, race, or ethnicity. America’s brave men and women are removing murderers, MS-13 gang members, pedophiles, rapists—truly the worst of the worst from Golden State communities. 70% of ICE arrests are of criminal illegal aliens who have been convicted or have pending charges. President Trump and Secretary Noem are putting the American people first by removing illegal aliens who pose a threat to our communities."

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