An LAPD officer at the gate of the Metropolitan Detention Center in downtown Los Angeles turned away Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and told them they needed a warrant signed by a federal judge, while protesters cheered the confrontation.
Video posted to social media shows the officer at the city jail facility informing the agents he could not help them without that specific paperwork, then sending them off.
WATCH:
Los Angeles Police Department turns ICE agents away from its own jail and demands a judge signed warrant
“Protesters cheer as the LAPD turns away ICE agents trying to get inside.”
LAPD officer at the gate says you must have a warrant “signed by a federal judge — can’t help you. I’m sorry.”
LA Mayor-elect Nithya Raman “LAPD has betrayed the trust, according to numerous reports, in sharing data with ICE, in appearing on the streets to have been protecting ICE as opposed to protecting residents.”
I looked into it and the reason they are allowed to do this is because ICE civil arrests use administrative warrants signed by immigration officers, not judges
LAPD says that ICE requests like this are “not unusual — they try to do this all the time”We are not a serious country
Imagine a system so corrupt that our own law enforcement officers protect ILLEGALS, people who broke into our country. The worst part is not only do they protect them, but they stand up to federal officers to make sure they aren’t arrested
We really do need new leadership. None of this should be allowed to happen
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) November 15, 2026
The footage, aired by Fox 11 Los Angeles, captures the moment ICE agents in tactical gear attempt to enter the LAPD facility.
The officer is heard stating that the warrant must be “signed by a federal judge” and responding, “can’t help you. I’m sorry,” when the agents do not produce one.
Protesters gathered nearby can be heard cheering and taunting the agents as they are turned away.
California and Los Angeles have longstanding policies that restrict local law enforcement cooperation with ICE on civil immigration matters.
Under the California Values Act (SB 54) and local rules, LAPD facilities generally do not grant immigration agents access to non-public areas of jails for civil immigration enforcement, nor do they honor ICE detainers.
The interaction comes as Mayor-elect Nithya Raman has repeatedly attacked the LAPD under Chief Jim McDonnell for allegedly sharing data with ICE and protecting federal agents during immigration enforcement, according to a report from the Los Angeles Times.
Raman has said the department “has betrayed the trust” in its interactions with ICE and has indicated she would seek new leadership.
McDonnell has pushed back on those claims, stating the LAPD does not conduct immigration enforcement and follows state law limiting cooperation.
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