LA Mayor Karen Bass Faces Criticism for Promoting Alleged ICE Kidnapping Hoax

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies, has faced backlash for promoting a story about a Mexican woman being kidnapped by ICE. The incident, which was later revealed to be a hoax, led to a scathing response from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which accused Bass of spreading misinformation and diverting resources from critical operations in Los Angeles.

The case involved Yuriana Julia Pelaez Calderon, a 41-year-old Mexican resident living in Los Angeles, who was reportedly charged with conspiracy and making false statements to federal officers. According to a report by the Department of Justice (DOJ), Calderon claimed to have been kidnapped by masked men in unmarked cars at a Jack in the Box parking lot. She alleged that she was taken to the border and presented to an ICE staffer who demanded she sign self-deportation papers. When she refused, she was allegedly taken to a warehouse to be held indefinitely. However, these claims were later debunked by investigations that uncovered inconsistencies in Calderon’s story.

DHS and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) launched separate investigations to determine the validity of the kidnapping claims. The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) found several irregularities in Calderon’s account. Video surveillance showed Calderon calmly exiting the Jack in the Box parking lot and entering a nearby sedan, despite the presence of a marked LAPD car nearby. Calderon did not make any attempt to seek help from the officers, raising further doubts about the authenticity of her story.

Calderon’s daughter also attempted to raise money for her mother’s alleged kidnapping by creating a GoFundMe page. However, the page was eventually removed, and the family did not access any of the funds. According to a spokesperson for GoFundMe, the page was deleted after the truth of the situation was uncovered.

Bass, who posted a link to a local news story about Calderon’s supposed kidnapping, commented that the incident was a case of a