The City Council on Wednesday, June 18 authorized a $5 million loan from the reserve fund to partially cover overtime Los Angeles Police Department officers accrued while responding to anti-immigration enforcement protests in downtown.

The City Council voted 13-2 to approve a special motion introduced during Wednesday’s meeting by members John Lee and Katy Yaroslavsky. Council members Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martinez voted against the motion.

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While the request requires approval from Mayor Karen Bass, the City Council green lighted a transfer up to $5 million from the reserve fund to pay for overtime for “pay period 25.”

In response to an inquiry about how much overtime pay officers are expected to collect, an LAPD spokesman said in an email, “We do not have numbers at this time.”

The spokesman also did not clarify the exact time frame of “pay period 25,” which ended on June 14, according to the motion.

Elected officials are expected to allocate dollars in the reserve fund for this loan, the only source of funding to address overtime concerns, according to the motion.

Amid economic challenges, the City Council and Bass recently approved an approximately $14 billion budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year, which cut spending in some areas and includes cost-saving measures to address a $1 billion deficit, but is larger than the $12.9 billion budget for the 2024-25 fiscal year.

The budget calls for hundreds of layoffs, which are expected to begin at the start of the next fiscal year on July 1.

The deficit was partially caused by overspending, new labor contracts, and rising liability costs in connection with complaints filed against the LAPD. These settlements have prompted elected officials to dip into the reserve fund, a rainy day account for emergencies.

“…Any transactions that reduce the reserve fund balance in the current fiscal year will necessitate actions in 2025-26 to keep the reserve fund balance at or above the Charter requirement of 5%,” the motion reads.

Bass enacted a curfew in the downtown area four days after protests erupted on June 6, which were in response to federal immigration enforcement operations. The curfew was lifted Tuesday.

“As a result, the (LAPD) has incurred significant sworn overtime costs that exceed their ability to provide cash payments to their officers who are on the front lines of protecting life and property,” the motion reads.

City officials warned that if they do not cover the cost for this pay period it could create ongoing and growing liability for the city.

City Administrative Officer Matt Szabo will be expected to present a repayment plan for the loan. Additionally, Szabo has been tasked with identifying more money to cover overtime from Sunday through the end of the curfew.

A preliminary report from Szabo’s office estimated that the city has incurred nearly $20 million in costs related to the anti-immigration enforcement protests. Roughly $17 million is for costs related to the LAPD —and of that about $11.7 million was tied to overtime.

The remaining $3 million comes from other city departments providing emergency response. The city has estimated an initial $1.4 million in damages to buildings, infrastructure and equipment, as well as graffiti.

Meanwhile, the city is facing mounting lawsuits from protesters and journalists, who alleged police brutality and violations of their rights under state and federal laws during anti-immigration enforcement protests.

The LAPD issued a statement that said officers arrested protesters engaged in illegal and violent acts over the weekend. It noted that officers used chemical agents and more than 600 rounds of so-called “less-lethal munitions” for crowd control and to protect people and property.

The department confirmed that officers made 575 arrests since protests began, according to a statement issued Monday. Additionally, LAPD reported 10 officers were injured related to the protests.