LOS ANGELES — Spencer Pratt launched a campaign for mayor of Los Angeles, criticizing Mayor Karen Bass’s approach to federal immigration enforcement and proposing an alternative he says would reduce ICE operations in the city. Pratt, a Pacific Palisades resident, said his candidacy stems in part from feeling ignored or mistreated by the Bass administration.

Pratt accused Bass of inviting continued ICE enforcement by defying federal immigration protocols. "I don’t want ICE in LA, nobody wants ICE in L.A. — except Karen ‘Basura’ apparently," he said, using a Spanish-derived nickname meaning “garbage.” He added that by using such rhetoric, Bass is “guaranteeing” future ICE operations in Los Angeles.

Pratt argued that the way to keep ICE out of the city is not through defiance but through lawful cooperation. He contrasted Bass’s stance with that of San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie, claiming Lurie negotiated directly with former President Donald Trump to limit ICE presence in exchange for local law enforcement cracking down on crime. Pratt cited San Francisco’s relative calm as evidence of success: "Notice what you don’t see — No riots. No crazy videos of ICE agents having chaotic arrests. That’s how it’s done."

Federal immigration enforcement has intensified in California over the past year due to the state’s limited coordination with federal officials and its policy of not honoring detainer requests for undocumented immigrants in custody. ICE conducted raids in Los Angeles last year that prompted violent counterdemonstrations.