LAPD Fingerprinting Practices Continue to Aid ICE Deportations, Prompting Renewed Scrutiny of City Policy: Report

Dozens of recent deportations have been linked to the Los Angeles Police Department's routine fingerprinting practices, raising concerns that the department is indirectly enabling U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations despite city policies aimed at limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, a new Los Angeles Times report has revealed.

According to the report, the fingerprint data collected by LAPD is automatically shared with federal law enforcement, allowing ICE to identify and target individuals for deportation—even in cases where local charges are dropped or never filed.

One case highlighted by the LA Times involved Jose Juarez-Basilio, a 35-year-old undocumented man from Mexico who was arrested in March on suspicion of making threats but released within 24 hours. Though no charges were filed, his fingerprints were submitted to a federal database. ICE subsequently arrested and deported him, citing prior deportations and illegal reentry.

Juarez-Basilio is one of at least 30 individuals arrested by LAPD in recent months who were later detained by ICE for immigration violations, according to federal court records.

These incidents have intensified debate over the effectiveness and relevance of Special Order 40, a 1979 LAPD policy that prohibits officers from initiating enforcement based solely on immigration status. Critics argue that the policy, while still in effect, fails to address contemporary enforcement methods like biometric data-sharing and automated surveillance tools.

"Do I think it meets the moment right now? Of course not," said Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez, who has called for a closer review of how LAPD handles data, particularly from license plate readers.

In response to increasing public pressure and recent high-profile ICE raids across the city, Mayor Karen Bass issued Executive Directive No. 12 on July 11, which calls for all City Departments to strengthen protocols to comply with the city's prohibition on using local resources for federal immigration enforcement.

The order also specifically creates a new working group led by LAPD in coordination with the Mayor's Office of Immigrant Affairs, the Police Commission, and community stakeholders. This group is tasked with reviewing current practices and providing new guidance on how officers should respond to federal enforcement actions.

Though LAPD officials continue to defend Special Order 40 as critical to maintaining public trust, legal experts warn that indirect cooperation through data-sharing could still undermine community confidence. "You cannot keep a city safe if a large swath of its population doesn't trust the police," said Christy Lopez, a former Justice Department official to the LA Times.