Just days after Los Angeles narrowed its 2025-2026 fiscal year budget by narrowing its $1 billion deficit, the city has already begun to embrace money as it enforces public safety amid the protests sparked by the ice attacks.
In nearly two weeks, the city has spent more than $17 million on protest-related enforcement alone, with many of the costs related to overtime for LAPD officers. Another $2 million will be spent on labor costs for employees who had to clean and repair following the protest.
Update: The City of LA has spent $19.7 million so far in response to the June protest against ICE.
This has spread from June 16th, 2025 between a week and a half.
(These do not include potential litigation or liability claims) pic.twitter.com/heacwzjbub
– LA City Controller Kenneth Mejia (@lacontroller) June 17, 2025
“These (costs) were not planned,” Majja said. He added that adding protest-related costs would require fragmentation into the new $14 billion budget.
“If things are not planned, we have to pull from emergency funds. That could be a possibility of our reserve fund,” the controller added.
The city’s new financial headache does not include the potential costs arising from the lawsuit filed against LAPD, and has already charged LA County Sheriff’s Officers and Deputies of overusing military rights to violate civil rights.
The city explained that it spent $20 million on settlement for the lawsuit filed during the 2020 protest.
“We must be very certain about how we respond, especially with regard to the use of force at police stations, because not only the financial aspect, but the human side of people can be seriously injured,” Majja said.
Among the 55 cases, 21 cases are still ongoing in the city, which has been facing since 2020, according to Meija.
The city is projected to pay a settlement and decision of at least $320 million, which is more than 3.5 times the $87 million budgeted by city officials — Majja urged residents to flag issues that could pose to taxpayers as a whole.
“I’m your accountant and auditor,” Maija said. “If you have anything you want to take care of in terms of costs or make sure things are following properly in terms of what is going on, reach out to me. Know that you are here to provide transparency and accountability for your taxes.”
