Protests, housing and Olympics. Takeaways from Bass' state of LA

Amid a mayoral election year, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass focused on unity and bettering a city that she described as frequently watched by the world in her state of the city address on Monday, Feb. 2.

But Bass, whose competitors in the mayoral race include former Los Angeles Unified School District Superintendent Austin Beutner and reality TV star-turned-outspoken-Bass-critic Spencer Pratt, acknowledged some of the biggest challenges the city faces in her address. That includes the federal government.

In the past year, the city has had to navigate devastating wildfires and its pricey aftermath, the Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops to the city, tensions over federal immigration enforcement operations within communities and a painful financial outlook for the city amid the 2025-2026 city budget process: A nearly $1 billion budget deficit.

Here's our key takeaways in Bass’ state of the city address, including her latest comments on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and housing.

Bass calls for end to ICE in LA, says protesting is part of the city’s strength

In a clear statement followed by extended applause, Bass called for the end of the presence of ICE in Los Angeles.

“Staying silent or minimizing what has happened is not an option,” Bass said. “This administration doesn’t care about safety. They don’t care about order and they most certainly don’t care about the law. This senseless death, lawlessness and violence must end, and so must the presence of ICE in Los Angeles.”

The mayor had called attention to the death of Keith Porter Jr., a 43-year-old father of two who was fatally shot by an off-duty ICE officer in Los Angeles, as well as the fatal shootings Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good by federal immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota.

She discussed when immigration enforcement sweeps last June prompted days of protests in the city and triggered the deployment of federalized National Guard troops in a move Bass, Gov. Gavin Newsom and others protested. Bass, during her address, called it a misuse of the men and women in the military.

But amid this discussion, Bass highlighted unity, describing neighbors looking out for neighbors, and communities forming Rapid Response Networks. Bass said she betted that everyone, like her, felt proud to be an Angeleno.

“Our city has always been about bringing people together, including to protest injustice and doing so peacefully,” Bass said early in her address, following a weekend where Los Angeles and the nation saw anti-ICE protests. “That is not just our value, that is our strength.”

But Bass also had a call to action to Los Angelenos after saying that the city will be ready to welcome the world for its many upcoming sporting events and various celebrations.

“I also know we will be ready to resist and confront whatever comes our way,” Bass said. “Whether it is a reckless federal government who tries to say that this city has fallen apart and needs the help, and needs to be rescued, those who say that our values are negotiable, anyone who tries to disparage our city, or anyone who underestimates the strength, the unity and the courage of this city, we’re not going to stand for it.”

Bass talks homelessness in Los Angeles, need for affordable housing

Here’s Los Angeles’ path forward, according to Bass: Continue to “resolve” encampments, “intensity” efforts on housing veterans and making housing affordable and “accelerate” beautification efforts along major city corridors.

“The greatest test of LA is whether people can actually afford to live here,” Bass said.

The mayor highlighted the 30,000 units of housing moving through an executive directive and acknowledged the Los Angeles City Council’s efforts on limiting rent increases.

Among the achievements in tackling homelessness, according to Bass, is the nearly 120 encampments that have been “resolved” through the city’s Inside Safe strategy, and moving “thousands” of people into permanent housing.

Also in the pipeline: Los Angeles will provide $14 million in rental assistance for senior adults and people with disabilities, and renewed efforts to address veteran homelessness in the city, including a call on individual landlords to house a veteran, according to Bass.

The record to address homelessness isn’t spotless for Los Angeles. One example: An independent assessment released last year said gaps in information and inaccurate and incomplete data and documentation challenged its assessment of several city homelessness assistance programs. A “lack of data and real-time oversight” both limited the ability to assess the “effectiveness of homelessness interventions” and “increased the risk of resource misallocation,” the assessment said. In January, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California alleged that an executive director of an L.A.-based charity pocketed “at least $10 million” of a fraudulently-obtained $23 million intended to combat homelessness.

LA Olympics 2028 and FIFA World Cup 2026: LA to get ready for its global stage

Bass opted to highlight Los Angeles’ role as host to major sporting events during her address Feb. 2.

In June, the Riviera Country Club in the Pacific Palisades will host the U.S. Women’s Open golf championship. Ahead of it, the city will offer golf clinics for girls, Bass said.

Next on the city’s agenda is the FIFA World Cup, in which several matches will be held at the SoFi Stadium.

Los Angeles will host more than 100 watch parties and events citywide as part of an effort to make sure World Cup games are accessible to everyone, not just people who can afford the seats, according to Bass.

Julie Uhrman, Angel City Football Club CEO, announced before Bass’ address that they were renewing a partnership with the Recreation and Parks Department through 2028. Under this partnership is a $3 million investment that’ll serve girls and “gender-expansive youth.”

And in two years comes the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity, and it is a serious responsibility,” Bass said. “When the world looks at LA, they won’t just see venues. They will see our values, the diversity of our people and all that our neighborhoods offer.”

Paris Barraza is a reporter covering Los Angeles and Southern California for the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected].