Police Chief Rejects Raman's ICE Cooperation Claims

LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell denies that the department assists federal immigration enforcement, after mayoral candidate Nithya Raman accused it of doing so.

Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in Law Enforcement

Police Chief Rejects Raman's ICE Cooperation Claims

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Should local police departments refuse to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement?

Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell rejected accusations from mayoral candidate and city councilwoman Nithya Raman that the LAPD assists ICE. Raman alleged the department shared fingerprint database and Flock camera information and vowed to oust McDonnell if elected, despite his term running through 2030.

Why it matters

The dispute centers on whether Los Angeles police cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, a question that bears on public trust and state law. Mayor Karen Bass, whom Raman is challenging, has said the allegation is not true.

The dispute is political rather than a pending case, with McDonnell and Mayor Bass denying the allegations while Raman maintains them. McDonnell has served 45 years in Los Angeles law enforcement, and 57% of LAPD sworn officers are Latino.

The players

Jim McDonnell

McDonnell is the Los Angeles Police Department chief who has spent 45 years in Los Angeles law enforcement.

Nithya Raman

Raman is a Los Angeles city councilwoman who is challenging Mayor Karen Bass in the mayoral race.

Karen Bass

Bass is the Mayor of Los Angeles who has said the allegation that the LAPD operates on ICE's behalf is not true.

The details

McDonnell said the LAPD does not work with federal partners on immigration enforcement and noted that California law prohibits such assistance. He acknowledged that the LAPD sends arrest fingerprints to the California Department of Justice, which shares them with a national federal database, and said the department distanced itself from Flock license plate cameras over civil liberties concerns.

2028: Los Angeles Olympics, which Bass warned could leave the city scrambling if the police chief were replaced six months beforehand
2030: End of McDonnell's current term

Legal Context

California law prohibits the LAPD from assisting federal immigration enforcement, and the department's fingerprint-sharing practice with the state Department of Justice sits inside that legal framework. The dispute therefore turns on whether routine information sharing is distinguishable from the assistance the statute forbids.

Residents of Los Angeles are affected by how the LAPD handles information sharing and immigration-related requests, which bears on whether people feel safe reporting crimes. The outcome of the mayoral race could also determine who leads the department after 2028.

The takeaway

Voters weighing the Los Angeles mayoral race can compare the candidates' stated positions on police leadership and immigration cooperation. Checking how state law defines permissible assistance can help clarify what each side is claiming.