In the swirling chaos that is Los Angeles County politics, Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s reckless and potentially illegal orders are putting Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputies directly in harm’s way.
In a shocking interview aired on FOX LA, Horvath confirmed that LASD deputies could be called upon to arrest ICE agents if they violate the county’s new “ICE-Free Zones” ordinance on county property. “Yes,” she said emphatically, underscoring the county’s “responsibilities to keep ICE out.”
This isn’t just tough talk; it’s a direct challenge to federal authority, potentially forcing LASD deputies into armed confrontations with ICE personnel. The Board writes the rules, but it’s the deputies who get thrown into the fray, risking their lives, careers, and even federal charges in a constitutional showdown the county is unlikely to win.
Horvath’s rhetoric goes beyond policy, it’s a powder keg. Spearheading the ordinance, unanimously approved by the Board of Supervisors, she prohibits ICE from using county-owned properties for operations, effectively turning public spaces like parks, clinics, and buildings into no-go zones for federal agents. Horvath didn’t mince words in her statements: “Our federal government is killing its own citizens… freely, without cause, murdering its own citizens in broad daylight.” She’s referenced fatal ICE shootings across the country, framing immigration enforcement as a deadly threat that terrorizes communities and deters people from accessing services. If deputies follow what many see as these illegal orders from politicians like Horvath, orders that pit them against federal law, they’re the ones who’ll face the consequences.
Sheriff Robert Luna has remained silent as this dangerous escalation unfolds, leaving deputies in a precarious legal and physical limbo while his administration continues to stumble from one self-inflicted crisis to the next.
A prime example of the confusion and internal conflict Luna has created is his decision to hire Steve James, a former Long Beach police officer turned labor consultant with deep ties to the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP), an organization that openly champions aggressive ICE tactics, as a key advisor. Revealed just weeks ago, the hire has ignited a glaring internal conflict within LASD, especially as Horvath escalates her inflammatory anti-federal rhetoric.
Steve James isn’t just a consultant, he’s an embedded insider with access, influence, and a paycheck from Sheriff Luna. He’s been sitting inside the department’s labor and union ecosystem, attending internal meetings, shaping narratives, influencing policy direction, and even riding along with deputies, all while collecting a paycheck as Luna’s paid labor consultant. This isn’t an outsider offering occasional advice. This is a positioned operative with real access.
Public records show James has effectively been installed as the department’s labor liaison, working hand-in-glove with Luna’s command staff while hovering around union business like he owns a seat at the table. Deputies are watching this unfold in real time, and they’re not confused because they don’t understand it. They’re confused because it makes no sense unless the confusion is the point.
Because here’s the problem Luna can’t explain away: James is tied to the Fraternal Order of Police, an organization that doesn’t just “support enforcement,” it openly champions aggressive ICE tactics and robust federal immigration operations. Meaning the same sheriff who postures as aligned with sanctuary politics is simultaneously paying and empowering someone affiliated with a group that cheers for the very ICE activity LA County claims to be resisting.
Sheriff Luna’s silence isn’t “neutrality.” It’s dereliction. He’s leaving deputies exposed while the department is turned into a political punching bag. The result isn’t just confusion, it’s internal disorder, broken trust, and a workforce left asking the most dangerous question of all: is the sheriff leading this department, or using it?
Even more concerning, deputies are staring down a reckless political showdown that could put them in direct conflict with federal agents, ALADS and PPOA are nowhere to be found. The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs (ALADS) and the Professional Peace Officers Association (PPOA) have been notably silent about the monumental political mess deputies have been thrust into since the ordinance passed Tuesday. No public statement addressing concerns for deputies rights especially when asked, or even worse, ordered to interfere with ICE agents and their federal duties. It is glaringly obvious that deputies’ dues are not paying for protection, they are paying for union reps to stay out of the fray and hope the crisis politely resolves itself. The silence screams the unions are more interested in staying comfortable with the political class than standing up for the people who actually wear the uniform.
As a result of Horvath’s dangerous directives have triggered widespread outrage on social media yet, Sheriff Luna remains silent, offering no direction to his deputies, or the citizens of LA County as to how LASD will navigate this escalating political and public safety conundrum.
That silence isn’t strategic. It’s cowardly. And at this point, it’s complicit.
Former Sheriff Alex Villanueva made this observation regarding Luna’s pattern of silence during critical and catastrophic events. “As he has exhibited throughout his troubling career, Sheriff Luna is nowhere to be found in moments of crisis. From riots, fires, and now political ones, Luna’s response is always the same: assume the fetal position and suck his thumb, most likely under his desk. What is needed is a clear, unequivocal statement from the sheriff informing the board of supervisors that his deputies will not interfere with federal immigration enforcement, full stop.”
While politicians play chicken with federal authority and the sheriff refuses to lead, it’s deputies who are left exposed – legally, physically, professionally – with no clear protection, no unified message, and no one willing to draw a line in the sand. The unions are watching deputies get set up for disaster and responding with the same energy as a shrug.
Since Sheriff Luna took office in December of 2022, his administration has been plagued by controversies, from feeding his own deputy to the Feds to appease local activists and the far left progressive pro-criminal narrative, to allegations of union corruption and collusion. Now, add the latest political stunt by the Board of Supervisors expecting law enforcement to interfere with ICE agents federal duties, you can expect the historic deputy vacancy numbers crippling LASD, a level not seen since the 80’s, to plummet even further . The department is hemorrhaging personnel, with staffing levels at dangerously low points operating well below minimum requirements. Recruitment drives are in full swing, but burnout is rampant, with special units like the Special Enforcement Bureau down to skeletal crews. Luna’s inability to fill ranks amid these scandals only exacerbates the crisis, leaving overworked deputies even more vulnerable to the fallout from policies like ICE-Free Zones.
Horvath’s anti-ICE crusade, paired with Luna’s and the unions’ deafening silence, is a recipe for disaster. Deputies are being used as pawns in the latest political stunt, one that could end in violence, lawsuits, or both.
If Luna won’t speak up, the public must.
If you’re concerned about this rhetoric and its impact on public safety, make your voice heard. Contact Sheriff Robert Luna directly at mailto:Rluna@lasd.org. Reach out to the Sheriff’s Information Bureau at (213) 229-1850 or via email at mailto:PIO@lasd.org. Captain Nancy Escobedo, head of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau, can be contacted at mailto:nescobedo@lasd.org. For complaints or concerns regarding Supervisor Lindsey Horvath’s statements, email her at mailto:ThirdDistrict@bos.lacounty.gov or call (213) 974-3333.
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