Karen Bass calls Raman's Gates remark a lie and asks her to apologize
Karen BassMayor of Los Angeles and candidate for re-election, at a campaign news conference
At a news conference with Black community leaders, Bass calls it a lie to portray Gates as the gold standard for Latino residents, says he inflicted serious harm on the African American community, and asks Raman to retract the remark and apologize.
Responding to
Los Angeles was the gold standard in noncooperation with immigration enforcement in the era of Police Chief Daryl Gates.
“My opponent is not really familiar with L.A., especially the Black community”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Karen Bass demands an apology after Nithya Raman says Los Angeles was the "gold standard" on immigration noncooperation in the Daryl Gates era
In a televised debate on the evening of October 13, 2026, Los Angeles City Councilmember Nithya Raman said the LAPD under Mayor Karen Bass had reportedly shared data with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and that the city "used to be the gold standard" in noncooperation with immigration enforcement "under the era of Daryl Gates", the police chief from 1978 to 1992. At an October 15 news conference with Black community leaders, Bass called it a lie to portray Gates as the gold standard for the city's Latino residents and asked Raman to retract the remark and apologize. Raman called Gates a racist police chief, said she had been describing Special Order 40, the 1979 policy that bars officers from stopping people only to determine their immigration status, and accused Bass of twisting her words to avoid questions about LAPD cooperation with ICE.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Los Angeles Times report on Mayor Karen Bass's October 15, 2026 news conference about Nithya Raman's debate remark on former LAPD chief Daryl Gates, Raman's video and written responses, and the LAPD's statement on Special Order 40.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
Two days after the debate, Bass spoke at her campaign headquarters, surrounded by about two dozen Black community leaders. She said it was a lie to portray Gates, who led the LAPD from 1978 to 1992, as the gold standard for the city's Latino residents, said he inflicted serious harm on the African American community, and called on Raman to retract the remark and apologize.
After the quotation
Bass added, "She doesn't know us." Asked about a video Raman posted that day, Bass said she does not believe the LAPD is sharing information with ICE.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Nithya Raman's statement in the October 13, 2026 debate that Los Angeles used to be the gold standard in noncooperation with immigration enforcement in the Daryl Gates era. Bass calls that portrayal of Gates a lie and asks Raman to retract it and apologize, so we labeled it Condemned. No competing label fits.
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- People and groups discussed
- Nithya Raman
More from this case
Read the full caseChristopher Webb questions how Raman could invoke Gates-era policing without knowing his record
“She knew enough to invoke the "gold standard" of Daryl Gates policing from 34 to 48 years ago, but knew nothing about the rest?”Read statement
Nithya Raman says Bass is twisting her words and calls Gates a racist police chief
“Now, instead of answering those questions and ensuring that we can rebuild trust with our law enforcement, Mayor Bass is trying to twist my words. It is completely unacceptable. Let me be very clear. Daryl Gates was a racist, abhorrent, militaristic police chief.”Read statement
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- Karen Bass calls Raman's Gates remark a lie and asks her to apologize
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/6325-at-a-news-conference-with-black-community-leaders
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The Dispute Index. "Karen Bass calls Raman's Gates remark a lie and asks her to apologize". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6325-at-a-news-conference-with-black-community-leaders