The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to pass a “sanctuary city” ordinance to protect immigrants from deportation by President-elect Donald Trump. The new municipal law would ban the use of city resources to assist federal immigration enforcement. File Photo by Jim Ruymen/UPI |
License PhotoNov. 20 (UPI) — Los Angeles passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance Tuesday to protect immigrants from deportation, after President-elect Donald Trump vowed to deport any “criminals who are being illegally harbored.”
The Los Angeles City Council passed the ordinance unanimously during Tuesday’s council meeting, by a vote of 13 to 0. The ordinance, which was drafted more than a year ago, codifies the protection of migrants into municipal law and would ban the use of city resources to assist federal immigration enforcement.
Under the law, no investigations, arrests, transfers or detentions of any people for the purpose of immigration enforcement would be allowed on city property or by city employees. Police would be exempt if investigating serious crimes.
The law, which contains an urgency clause, would go into effect within 10 days once Mayor Karen Bass signs it.
“Immigrants make up the very fabric of Los Angeles, and they deserve to feel safe and protected in the city they call home, no matter who is in power,” said Councilmember Nithya Raman.
While the law will allow the city to keep migrants’ citizenship or immigration status confidential, it would not stand up to any warrant issued by a federal or state judge.
“So-called sanctuary cities and states sound warm and fuzzy, but the protections they offer are not for abuelas getting ice cream, they’re for people who’ve entered the country illegally and committed additional crimes,” said Roxanne Hodge, communications director for the Republican Party of Los Angeles County. “Whether drunk driving, robbery, sexual violence, assault or murder, none of those should go unpunished.”
Los Angeles’ sanctuary city law comes two weeks to the day after Trump won the presidential election. Trump had campaigned on border security and vowed to deport anyone who was in the United States illegally.
“We know there is a target on our back from the president-elect,” said Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, who represents the central San Fernando Valley.
In addition to deportations, Trump also promised to ban sanctuary cities.
“I will ask Congress to pass a law outlawing sanctuary cities nationwide,” Trump said during a campaign rally in North Carolina.
“As soon as I take office, we will immediately surge federal law enforcement to every city that is failing to turn over criminal aliens and we will hunt down, capture every single gang member, drug dealer, rapist, murderer and migrant criminal that is being illegally harbored,” he added.
On Monday, the Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education also adopted a “sanctuary city” resolution, requiring teachers and staff to undergo federal immigration response training.
