Trump’s Threats Hang Over LA Olympics Planning As City Leaders Seek Protections For Immigrants

LOS ANGELES, CA — After President Donald Trump in August established a federal task force to oversee the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, city officials are raising concerns about whether the Trump administration's role in the games could negatively impact immigrants lacking permanent legal status.

Shortly after the task force was announced by Trump, Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez introduced a motion asking LA28 officials to deliver a presentation regarding the federal government's role in Olympics planning to the council's ad hoc committee on the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The motion was approved earlier this month.

"The creation of this task force raised questions about its scope, responsibilities and how its work will intersect with the city's ongoing preparations for the games," the motion reads.

Rodriguez wrote that it's also critical the city "remains steadfast" in protecting vulnerable communities "such as our undocumented residents who may be directly or indirectly affected by heightened security measures or federal engagement."

The motion also asks that local Olympics organizers recommend "guardrails" the city could erect "to ensure that the city's most vulnerable communities are protected."

The creation of the federal task force in August punctuated a summer in Los Angeles defined by the Trump administration's sharp focus on the region for immigration enforcement activity. Widespread arrests by federal immigration authorities prompted protests and violence and left many residents lacking permanent legal status in fear of deportation.

With an executive order, Trump created the task force with himself as chair and Vice President JD Vance serving as vice chair.

The order outlined that Trump would designate and executive director to handle day-to-day operations of the group, whose membership was set to include cabinet members including the secretary of state.

The group is charged with coordinating federal planning around security, transportation and information sharing, as well as identifying "legal, logistical, or regulatory barriers that could impede effective Federal support for the Games and recommend timely solutions," in addition to ensuring "operational readiness across law enforcement."

As part of Trump's "Big Beautiful Bill," the government allocated $1 billion for security and planning for the 2028 Games.

The city is in negotiations with LA28 regarding services that go beyond the 2021 Games agreement. During the Olympics and Paralympic Games, LA28 will require security, trash removal, traffic control, and paramedics, among other things.

LA officials and LA28 must come to an agreement by Oct. 1, 2025, on so-called "enhanced services" and determine rates and reimbursement.

Similar task forces were created for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, as well as for next summer’s World Cup, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.

But Trump's threats to move the Olympics and World Cup out of Los Angeles have raised concerns about what federal involvement could look like this time around.

“We’ll do anything necessary to keep the Olympics safe, including using our National Guard or military,” Trump said when announcing the task force.

In October, Trump said he would work to move the Olympics out of the city if he believed the region was unprepared for the games.

“If I thought LA was not going to be prepared properly, I would move it to another location,” Trump said, according to Bloomberg. “Gavin Newsom, he’s got to get his act together.”

City News Service contributed to this report.