Los Angeles Councilmember Nithya Raman Calls for Leadership Change Over Immigration Raids

Nithya Raman’s Stance on Police Chief and Federal Immigration Actions

Los Angeles City Councilmember and mayoral candidate Nithya Raman has renewed her call for replacing Police Chief Jim McDonnell due to his handling of federal immigration raids last year. In a video interview, Raman urged viewers to ‘stop fascist liars.’ Running against Mayor Karen Bass in the Nov. 3 election, Raman criticized both McDonnell and Bass regarding the LAPD’s use of tear gas against protesters opposing federal immigration arrests.

Controversial Video and Reaction

The video, lasting 90 seconds, was uploaded to Instagram by content creator Ed Choi. It featured Raman at Los Angeles Trade-Technical College where she held a rally outlining her plans for the first 100 days as mayor. The video starts with Raman and Choi declaring, ‘Only you can stop fascist liars!’ accompanied by an image of Bass. However, the video was taken down by Choi following backlash from Mayor Bass.

Bass criticized Raman over the video, accusing her of labeling police officers as fascist liars. Bass stated that calling officers ‘fascists’ is a dangerous extreme that should not be part of the city’s discourse. McDonnell declined to comment through a spokesperson.

Clarification and Response

Raman’s spokesperson, Liz Garcia, clarified that Raman used the phrase to refer to federal immigration agents, not LAPD officers or Mayor Bass. She stated that Choi edited the video interview, leading to misunderstandings. LAPD officers had previously used tear gas and projectiles against downtown protesters opposing the immigration raids.

U.S. District Judge Hernán D. Vera prevented LAPD and federal agents from using crowd control weapons on reporters and nonviolent protesters, citing 1st Amendment rights. Another judge later found LAPD violated court restrictions by deploying projectile weapons at protests.

Councilmember’s Proposed Actions

During the interview with Choi, Raman reiterated her call for replacing McDonnell, proposing new leadership at the LAPD. She criticized the use of tear gas against protesters, stating the practice needs to stop, especially when the public exercises their First Amendment rights.

Political and Union Reactions

The Los Angeles Police Protective League expressed concern over the imagery in the video depicting McDonnell’s face crossed out, calling it dangerous. They emphasized the security risks faced by the mayor and police chief.

Bass has been active in campaign ads showcasing her response to immigration protests, including her confrontation with immigration agents in MacArthur Park in July 2025. She signed an ordinance and executive directive ensuring city law enforcement personnel record federal immigration enforcement actions with body cameras.