New guidelines direct LAPD officers dispatched to reports of federal immigration enforcement incidents to keep the peace, try to verify the identities of people making arrests, and document the events on body-worn video if those claiming to be federal agents refuse to cooperate.
The instructions were issued in recent days following numerous citizen reports of “attempted kidnappings,” when federal agents, who are often wearing face coverings, dressed in street clothes and driving unmarked vehicles, attempt to detain people on the street or in businesses.
“In some cases, agents have reportedly refused to identify themselves, resulting in confusion, calls for service, and tensions between the public and law enforcement,” the notice to officers said, according to law enforcement contacts.
The new directive said officers should only take actions to safeguard lives and property, and remain separated from immigration actions.
It said officers should try to de-escalate tensions at scenes, provide clear information to any community members present and take crime reports for kidnapping or false imprisonment if agents “have failed to identify themselves after a verification attempt.”
The instructions said field supervisors should be sent to the scenes, command staff should be notified and a report should be made to the Department’s immigration point-person.
“They’re unprecedented circumstances that they’re facing out there,” LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell told the Board of Police Commissioners last week in response to questions about the people officers had encountered making immigration arrests.
“There’s been a lot of conversation around with a lot of concern for ‘blue on blue’ interactions, a lot of concern about community perceptions that the people who are out there, are not who they purport to be,” McDonnell said.
“If somebody is unsure that the people they’re dealing with are actually agents of the federal government, call 911,” he said.
It was not clear how many of these calls the LAPD has received since federal law enforcement agencies began more aggressive immigration enforcement in Southern California.
On June 10, some members of the City Council urged the LAPD chief to try to further distance the police department from federal immigration actions, saying the response of officers to arrest scenes — even for crowd control — suggested the Department was helping federal agents.
“Those people aren’t our partners,” said Council president Marqueece Harris-Dawson.
“They’re just not, I don’t care what badges they have on, I don’t care whose orders they’re under, they are not our partners,” he said.
Councilwoman Imelda Padilla asked McDonnell to use the Department’s access to confidential law enforcement information to tip off communities when immigration enforcement was planned, a request McDonnell immediately refused.
“You can warn us,” Padilla said, “so that we can warn our folks, in the spirit of your loyalty to the City of Los Angeles.”
“So you’re asking me to inform you about an enforcement action being taken by another agency before it happens?” McDonnell asked.
“Yeah,” Padilla nodded.
“We can’t do that,” McDonnell said.
“Why not?” Padilla asked.
“That would be obstruction of justice, you may want to talk to the City Attorney about that,” McDonnell answered.
The LAPD has barred officers for more than a generation with directly participating in immigration enforcement arrests, and more recently any city employee from sharing information that could be used in enforcement efforts.
That position was highlighted in the Trump administration’s lawsuit filed against the city Monday in response to its ‘sanctuary city’ policies, alleging the City rules for police and other workers amounts to obstruction of federal law.