Nithya Raman says Bass is twisting her words and calls Gates a racist police chief
Nithya RamanLos Angeles City Councilmember and candidate for mayor, in a campaign video
In a campaign video, Raman says Bass is twisting her words instead of answering questions about LAPD cooperation with ICE. She calls Gates a racist police chief and says that 50 years ago, under Mayor Tom Bradley, the city took steps so that immigrants could contact police without fear of being reported to immigration authorities.
Responding to
Los Angeles was the gold standard in noncooperation with immigration enforcement in the era of Police Chief Daryl Gates.
“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.”
Original video
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
Original video
About this source
Raman's campaign posted this short video on October 15, 2026, while Bass was holding her news conference. Raman speaks to the camera about the debate exchange and LAPD cooperation with ICE.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)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
Raman's campaign posted the video on October 15 while Bass was holding her news conference. Raman opens by saying Bass owes Angelenos answers about LAPD cooperation with ICE and that she asked Bass pointed questions about it at the debate.
After the quotation
Raman goes on to say that 50 years ago, under Mayor Tom Bradley, the city took steps so immigrant residents could reach police without fear of being reported to immigration authorities, and asks why there are reports in 2026 that the LAPD is sharing information with ICE. According to the Los Angeles Times, she said she had used the phrase "gold standard" to describe Special Order 40.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Raman's own 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. Raman rejects Bass's reading of the remark as praise for Gates, says she was describing the city's past limits on cooperation with immigration authorities, and condemns Gates himself, so we labeled it Challenged characterization. The closest competing label is Defended or excused, because she keeps her point about immigration policy; it loses because her response disputes how her words were described rather than defending Gates's record.
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- People and groups discussed
- Karen Bass
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
Karen Bass calls Raman's Gates remark a lie and asks her to apologize
“My opponent is not really familiar with L.A., especially the Black community”Read statement
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The Dispute Index. "Nithya Raman says Bass is twisting her words and calls Gates a racist police chief". First published: 2026-10-20. Last updated: 2026-10-20. https://disputeindex.com/events/6326-in-a-campaign-video-raman-says-bass-is