The Los Angeles City Council approved the selection of Jim McDonnell as the city’s next police chief, despite protests from immigrant rights activists concerned about whether the department would cooperate with federal immigration authorities.

Responding to those concerns Friday, McDonnell said he would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE.

“I want to be clear to all Los Angeles residents, especially our immigrant community who are feeling uncertainty and fear: This is a city of immigrants, and my job is to serve you,” he said during the meeting.

The council approved McDonnell’s appointment by a vote of 11 to 2. McDonnell was later sworn in at a private ceremony.

Some community activists said they opposed McDonnell’s hiring, citing concerns about his record while serving as L.A. County sheriff. During that time, they said, he failed to improve conditions at the Central Men’s Prison, failed to rid the department of vice gangs, and turned over unauthorized immigrants in the prison to federal agents.

“We strongly oppose McDonnell’s appointment because of his history of collusion with ICE,” Bruno Huizar of the California Immigrant Policy Center told the City Council on Friday. he said.

Referring to the re-election this week of President Donald Trump, who has promised mass deportations if he returns to office, Huizar said, “Trumpism has no place in Los Angeles.”

McDonnell noted that since Tuesday’s election, there has been a lot of talk about what happens next.

“What I can say here is any talk of mass roundups or the Police Department getting involved, we don’t do that kind of thing,” he said.

Election of the new chief

Nearly 100 people spoke at the council meeting, which lasted several hours. The vast majority opposed McDonnell’s appointment.

“Given Sheriff McDonnell’s history of working with ICE, it’s clear he doesn’t have the moral clarity to build that trust with the community,” said Maritza Cuestas of the LA Voice.

Victor Dominguez, president and CEO of the YMCA of Metro Los Angeles, praised McDonnell as the right person for the job: “It’s important that we have a leader who truly understands the diverse communities that Los Angeles makes up, and Jim is a right leader.”

Only council members Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martinez voted to oppose McDonnell’s appointment. Both expressed concerns about previous cooperation with ICE.

Other council members praised McDonnell’s extensive experience in law enforcement and said he is the right person to lead the LAPD. He will face deep problems at the department, including a recruitment crisis that has caused the number of civil servants to fall from 10,000 to 8,800 five years ago.

Still, it is the second largest police department in the country.

News that McDonnell has been named head of the department announced early last month. It has a long history in the city and county; He served 29 years with the LAPD, then served as chief of the Long Beach Police Department before being elected sheriff. Most recently, he served as director of the University of Southern California Price School’s Safe Communities Institute.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said at a press conference on Oct. 4 that she believes McDonnell is “a leader, an innovator and a change maker.”

“I’m appointing Chief McDonnell because he and I are aligned in our desire to change the course of Los Angeles by reducing crime by preventing crime in the first place, responding promptly when crime occurs, and holding people accountable,” Bass said. he said. .

As the new chief, McDonnell will be tasked with ensuring the department is ready for a new operation. 2026 World Cup And 2028 Summer Olympics.

The new chief will earn $450,000 per year, a salary approved by both the Police Commission and the City Council. The amount was reduced from $507,509 after criticism that the number was too high.

Goals of the new president

In setting his goals, McDonnell said last month he wants to expand the department while trying to build community trust.

“Simply put, my goals are to improve public safety, return our department to full strength through a robust recruitment and retention campaign, (and) strengthen public trust, which is the foundation of everything we do,” he said.

McDonnell was elected sheriff of Los Angeles County in 2014. some time as the department grappled with allegations that deputies beat and humiliated people held in the county jail, the convictions of several deputies for obstructing an FBI investigation into the prison system, and low morale among department members.

He served one term as sheriff, during which time he was credited with working to establish systems of accountability and restore public trust, according to the mayor.

But when he ran for re-election in 2018, Alex Villanueva won in an upset. McDonnell was ousted with the help of huge expenses from the labor union representing MPs who disliked his disciplinarian attitudes.

As LAPD chief, McDonnell said he wants to “ensure respectful and constitutional policing practices” and work with the community to address concerns. He also promised to address concerns about discipline and low morale.

“What we hope for is balance,” he said Friday. “The bar of responsibility is very high.”

LAist reporter Yusra Farzan contributed to this report.

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