On the eve of the midterm elections, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA City Councilmember Nithya Raman actively campaigned across town, vying for the substantial number of undecided voters who may make the difference in the closely contested race for mayor.
Bass and Raman – who are on opposite sides on various issues – both spoke with the San Fernando Valley Sun/el Sol about protecting seniors from homelessness, and how they hope to curb escalating and increasingly violent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids.
Fighting ICE
Bass acknowledged that one of the LA areas that has been hardest hit by ICE raids has been Councilmember Imelda Padilla’s district – which includes Arleta, North Hills and Van Nuys.
“I work very closely with [Padilla],” said Bass of the 6th district councilmember, who endorsed her reelection. “To me, it is important that we stand up and resist ICE as much as possible. I wish that I had the power as mayor to stop them from coming into the city; because it’s the federal government, I do not have that power.
“But,” she continued, “I do think it’s important that we continue with a number of policies that I initiated. Like number one, for example, not allowing ICE to congregate on city property and stage raids from there, but also providing support to the immigrant rights organizations that are most closely connected to the people that are detained and their families.”
Those organizations include the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). Bass joined CHIRLA leaders and other immigration advocates two weeks ago to warn LA residents that surging ICE activity across that state aimed to keep voters from the polls. They encouraged everyone to be vigilant, and told those who can vote to exercise their right to vote by Nov. 3.
Raman said she would direct the LA Police Department (LAPD) and other city departments to follow the existing sanctuary city ordinance; increase legal-defense support for immigrants who have been detained; and audit data sharing protocol to prevent ICE from receiving information.
“We’ve seen reports that LAPD has actually been sharing information in databases with ICE that have enabled ICE to target individuals here in Los Angeles,” she said. “I’ll start with an audit of our data sharing practices to make sure that we are not sharing a single iota of data with ICE.”
Overall, continued Raman, “LAPD needs to do better at ensuring that they are protecting Angelenos from ICE. In the early days of the raids, LAPD appeared to be protecting ICE agents on the streets rather than protecting Angelenos, leading to a significant loss of trust.”
LAPD and DSA
Raman, who has stated she wants to replace LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell if she becomes mayor, was endorsed by the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), which advocates for defunding the police. When asked if she will continue to align herself with the DSA – which nearly revoked their endorsement over her views on Israel, which some believe are not tough enough – said the DSA is just “one of many organizations that have endorsed me for this election.”
“But … I am not a supporter of defunding the police. I’ve voted for multiple budgets that have maintained our police force and even expanded it,” said Raman, noting that the LAPD actually shrunk under Bass due in part to citywide budget crisis and cuts that slowed officer recruitment.
Regardless, the LA Police Protective League (LAPPL) endorsed Bass’s bid for reelection, stating that she “has an unwavering commitment to keep Angelenos and police officers safe.”
Seniors and Homelessness
Homelessness has remained a paramount issue in Los Angeles. According to the 2026 LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) homeless count numbers, there are more than 45,000 unhoused individuals in the city of LA alone, and more than 73,000 in LA County.
But the biggest demographic facing homelessness are older people and seniors. Those 55 to 65+ are the fastest-growing demographic and the largest group becoming unhoused for the first time.
Addressing a senior advocacy group last week at ONEgeneration Senior Enrichment Center in Reseda, Bass vowed to continue utilizing the Mayor’s Fund to target homelessness prevention, and to help support seniors facing eviction in part by routinely seeking input from those most at risk.
“When people are facing eviction, we go out and meet with them and talk to them and help them from … eviction and being on the street,” said Bass regarding the fund’s We Are LA initiative, which helps tenants facing eviction navigate the court or landlord processes and other services.
“We want to do more of that, and that’s where I could use your advice,” she told the few dozen seniors present. “I believe the best policy is made working with people who are impacted.”
Bass said she planned to return to hear more of their ideas, suggestions and personal stories.
Raman also expressed concern about the growing number of seniors facing homelessness, noting that “nearly 60% of seniors who rent their homes are rent burdened, which means that they spend far more than 30% of their income on rent and have very, very little left over for food and medicine and other issues,” she said.
“We have money from Measure ULA for eviction defense and rental assistance that is targeted towards seniors, but guess what? The housing department has moved far too slowly in getting those dollars out the door,” said Raman. “When I am mayor, departments will act swiftly to help residents who are most in need of assistance get access to the resources that the city already has.
“The city can do much more to help seniors here in Los Angeles,” she said.
