Undaunted Mayor Bass

Political redemption by courageously defending immigrants while standing up to bullies

Mayors of large cities arguably hold the hardest jobs in American politics. They are blamed for everything from potholes to crime to poor-performing schools. They are largely dependent on state and federal funding, but get saddled with cleaning up the mess from disastrous state and federal decisions. And the sheer complexity of issues deeply entrenched in their communities (e.g., homelessness, inequality, infrastructure) makes any success elusive. No wonder so few mayors have spotless records (and those who do generally haven’t done anything noteworthy).

Given all that, a mayor who performs well under trying circumstances deserves ample credit. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has dealt with it all—homelessness, devastating fires, and the federal invasion and lawless ICE raids that are terrorizing her residents, damaging the local economy, and inciting understandable anger. And yet, she has been rising to meet this trying moment.

On the homeless front, “Mayor Bass issued a state of emergency for homelessness on her very first day in office,” L.A. Magazine reported this week. “Today, the number of unhoused people on L.A. streets is down for the second year in a row.” The problem is far from solved, but the numbers are moving in the right direction, with reports showing that “street homelessness is down by a total of 17.5 percent. Permanent housing in L.A. has also reached an all-time high, while the number of makeshift shelters—those living in tents, cars, vans, and RVs—is also down 13.5 percent.”

Rather than wait for permanent housing to be built, according to the L.A. Times, Bass’s Inside Safe initiative, as well as the county’s Pathway Home, has emphasized “quickly moving people off the streets and into interim—and sometimes permanent—housing…Last year, agency data showed 11,146 people moved from interim housing into a permanent home, 23.5% more than in 2023.”

Most recently and publicly, Bass has shown her mettle in combating the feds’ inhumane, destructive, and illegal raids that indiscriminately snare brown people, whether native born or not, documented or undocumented. She has earned nationwide praise for consistently rebuking Trump’s lies, successfully litigating against racial profiling and denial of legal counsel for detainees, and issuing an executive order in defense of immigrant communities. “She has presented herself as a defender of a city under siege, a Democratic mayor in a Democratic city confronting a Republican president,” the New York Times reported. “She has drawn on her years as a community organizer to reassure immigrant families struggling with ‘fear and terror,’ and has walked a line at once defending the rights of constituents to demonstrate and denouncing protesters who are ‘creating the violence.’”

This courageous response has given her a political reprieve of sorts following her actions during and immediately after the horrific Eaton and Palisades fires in January. The scope of the disaster must not be forgotten: “The Palisades Fire burned more than 23,000 acres and destroyed 7,000 structures in the Pacific Palisades area. Twelve people were killed,” the local ABC TV affiliate reported. “The Eaton Fire burned more than 14,000 acres and killed 18 people. Nearly 7,000 homes and businesses were destroyed by the blaze.” At the time, she was bashed for being out of the country on a trade mission when the fires broke out (she returned as quickly as possible) and for her initially hesitant response (which included fighting over blame, resulting in her dismissal of the fire chief). Nevertheless, in the months that followed, Bass has made considerable progress.

In early July she recounted:

• 3,450+ (nearly 80%) properties cleared of debris

• More than 1 million tons of debris removed

• 650+ plan check applications for 440+ addresses submitted

• 220+ plans approved

• 165+ permits issued — first permit issued 57 days after start of wildfires

• All 3 schools in L.A. partially destroyed cleared of debris, ahead of schedule

• 2 months to restore water and power for standing homes

• 3,500+ served at One-Stop Rebuilding Center

• 4 Impacted Worker and Family Recovery Centers opened

• 28 days to clear properties of hazardous materials

• 300 tons of hazardous materials, such as exploded lithium ion batteries, removed

• 13,500 feet of concrete barriers and 7,500 sandbags installed to reinforce burn areas during wet weather

From expediting building permits to tax relief for businesses to major infrastructure repair to forging public/private partnerships, she has labored to get residents and businesses back on their feet. Those still reeling may want even faster action, but the city, county, and state have made irrefutable strides while dealing with Donald Trump’s ongoing threats to withhold aid, along with his inaction on a supplemental assistance package.

In sum, Bass’s performance has not been flawless, but she is the mayor of our second-largest city. And, especially when defending her city against a cruel, destructive, and incendiary federal invasion, she has shown the strength of her character and political skill. She has figured out how to use the bully pulpit to unify the city and expose Trump’s lawless, dangerous approach. Polling showing high disapproval of Trump’s draconian tactics in large part reflects her ability to get the facts out, tap into public outrage, and demonstrate solidarity with residents of one of the most diverse cities on the planet. Thanks to her leadership, most Americans stand with Los Angeles, not with its racist and reckless tormentor.

For her courageous defense of immigrants and her tenacity in tackling intractable issues—while defying critics who wrote her off—Bass deserves our respect. Today, we honor her for personifying her city’s resilience, humanity, and undaunted spirit.