The Los Angeles City Council on Tuesday adopted a sanctuary city ordinance that would prohibit the use of city resources in immigration enforcement, including cooperation with federal immigration authorities, as the incoming Trump administration threatens to crack down on immigration.
The City Council unanimously passed a motion to codify the safeguards after City Attorney Heidi Feldstein Soto and Mayor Karen Bass expedited the proposed ordinance last week.
The bill was passed with an emergency clause, meaning the Sanctuary City Ordinance will go into effect immediately once Mayor Bass gives final approval.
Former Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an executive order protecting immigrants in 2019, which already prohibits Los Angeles Police Department officers from asking people about their immigration status during arrests, but a year and a half ago the first Tuesday’s ordinance, proposed in , would formally implement the sanctuary policy. City books.
“Even without this (Trump) administration, we know that people in immigrant communities often live in fear and, as a result, have some of the highest rates of underreporting of crime, assault, and violence,” the City Council said. said Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez. “If people are living in fear, hiding in the shadows and not being able to come forward and cooperate with law enforcement in the way that we need to, especially because we want to keep people safe. , there is no safer city.”
The newly approved ordinance also prohibits “the use of City resources, property, or personnel in federal immigration enforcement efforts” and requires the city to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in the “performance of duties” related to immigration enforcement. It is also prohibited.
Newly appointed Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell said his department will not be involved in immigration enforcement. He remained steadfast in his position.
Trump’s new border czar, Tom Homan, appeared on “Fox & Friends” last week and said, “There is nothing that will stop us from deporting criminal immigrants.”
“If we don’t get support from New York City, we may have to double the number of staff we send to New York City,” Homan said, referring to the sanctuary’s jurisdiction, citing New York City as an example. did. because we are
I’ll go to work whether I’m with you or not. ”
He also suggested that the president withhold federal funding from sanctuary jurisdictions.
Trump’s lawmakers did not immediately comment on the possibility of Los Angeles passing a sanctuary ordinance, but Roxanne Hoge, communications director for the Los Angeles County Republican Party, said last week:
He criticized the concept of sanctuary cities and states.
“A country without secure borders is no country at all,” Hoge said in a statement, adding: “The protection they provide is for the people who enter the country, not for the abuelas (grandmothers) buying the ice cream.” ” he said. He stayed in the country illegally and committed further crimes. “Whether it’s drunk driving, robbery, sexual assault, assault or murder, nothing should go unpunished,” she added. “Perpetrators should never be protected by large sums of money taken from hard-working people.”
Taxpayers. ”
City News Service contributed to this report.
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