By Nick Valencia | September 25, 2025
LOS ANGELES— In late June, Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell stood at a podium and promised something remarkable: his officers would begin verifying the identities of federal agents who appeared at the scene of suspected immigration enforcement actions.
The pledge went further. Not only would LAPD officers demand to see the credentials of Immigration and Customs Enforcement supervisors, but they would do it on camera, so the public could see that even federal muscle had to answer for its actions.
It was a rare moment of pushback at a time when Los Angeles felt caught in the crosshairs of President Trump’s immigration crackdown. For immigrant advocates, McDonnell’s vow signaled that the nation’s second-largest police department would not serve as ICE’s uncritical auxiliary. For many others, it was reassurance that local law enforcement would keep federal agents honest.
To test whether that pledge had teeth, Nick Valencia News filed a California Public Records Act request on August 8 with the state Department of Justice. We asked for evidence: the number of times LAPD officers had checked ICE credentials, how those interactions were logged, and whether body-camera video of such encounters existed.
The response was striking. After first extending the deadline, the Attorney General’s office closed the request on September 8 with a blunt conclusion:
“We have conducted a search of the DOJ’s legal indexes and logical places, and consulted knowledgeable persons, and have been unable to locate any responsive records.”
The letter also clarified that the DOJ was “not the depository for records for the entire State of California,” and suggested directing the request to LAPD itself.
The absence of records raises uncomfortable questions. Did LAPD actually follow through on its June promise to hold ICE accountable in real time? Or was the press conference more performance than policy?
At best, the lack of documentation suggests Los Angeles police have no reliable system for tracking these interactions. At worst, it signals that the initiative never moved beyond the soundbite — a piece of hot air offered to soothe a city teetering at a breaking point
