LA Leaders Demand Probe After Reported ICE Abductions

Mayor Karen Bass and Rep. Robert Garcia called for a congressional investigation into what they described as the "unlawful and unconstitutional" abduction, detainment and alleged abuse of U.S. citizens and immigrants by federal agents operating without judicial warrants or probable cause. They said aggressive immigration enforcement concentrated in Los Angeles County since June has included reports of people being Tased, dragged and held without access to attorneys or phone calls. Multiple incidents were cited, including an American citizen taken in downtown Los Angeles, a violent Pico Rivera arrest caught on video after a man protested questioning, and a Los Angeles woman detained days before giving birth, and officials said similar reports have emerged elsewhere such as Chicago. City Council members and immigrant-rights advocates joined the call, and Bass and allies urged the public to record ICE activity and said they plan to launch a master ICE tracker site. Garcia, identified as a ranking member of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, vowed to hold the Department of Homeland Security and the administration accountable, calling the actions unconstitutional and an assault on civil liberties.