US News

Los Angeles enacts ordinance to thwart Trump’s mass deportation plan


The council’s decision follows President-elect Donald Trump’s confirmation that he is ready to declare a national emergency to facilitate widespread deportations.

The Los Angeles City Council has approved an ordinance to prevent the utilization of city resources and personnel for federal immigration enforcement following President-elect Donald Trump’s announcement of mass deportations of undocumented immigrants.

The ordinance received unanimous approval with a 13-0 vote on Nov. 19 and now awaits Mayor Karen Bass’s signature. Bass had urged swift action to safeguard undocumented immigrants prior to the council meeting.
“This moment requires immediate action. Safeguarding immigrants enhances our communities and makes our city stronger,” stated the mayor on Nov. 12. Read the full statement here.
The city council’s decision came shortly after Trump confirmed his intent to declare a national emergency and utilize military resources to carry out widespread deportations of undocumented immigrants.

Trump did not provide detailed plans, but the promise to initiate mass deportations was a significant part of his 2024 campaign strategy. His inauguration is just two months away.

According to the sanctuary city ordinance, city personnel are prohibited from inquiring about a person’s immigration status or making arrests for federal immigration law enforcement purposes.

The ordinance will prohibit city personnel from engaging in immigration enforcement activities or providing federal immigration agents with access to information regarding individuals’ immigration status.

City personnel are also not allowed to respond to administrative warrants or requests to detain, transfer, or inform federal immigration agents about an undocumented immigrant’s status or release.

“This measure aims to establish Los Angeles as a sanctuary city through legislation, ensuring that all Angelenos can interact with our government without the fear of facing Donald Trump’s deportation team,” councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez stated at the council meeting.
The Los Angeles Unified School District has also passed a resolution declaring itself a “sanctuary district” for students and families within the district. The resolution includes training for educators and staff on how to handle federal immigration agents seeking information or access to school premises.

The Los Angeles County Republican Party (LAGOP) has condemned the ordinance, stating that the city should prioritize public safety over protecting illegal immigrants who have committed crimes.

“So-called ‘sanctuary’ cities and states may sound comforting, but they offer protection to individuals who have entered the country illegally and engaged in additional criminal acts,” LAGOP mentioned in a statement. “Whether it’s drunk driving, robbery, sexual violence, assault, or murder, none of these offenses should go unpunished. Offenders should not be shielded by funds collected from hard-working taxpayers.”

California also has similar safeguards in place. Former California Governor Jerry Brown signed sanctuary state legislation in 2017 to prevent police from inquiring about immigration status or participating in federal immigration enforcement.

At the time, President Trump attempted to withhold funding from so-called sanctuary cities and favor cities willing to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement for grants.

The Trump transition team has not responded immediately to requests for comments.

Contributions to this report were made by Jack Phillips and the Associated Press.



Source link

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.