In the face of President-elect Donald Trump’s plans to undertake mass deportations, council members voted to declare Los Angeles a Sanctuary City that prohibits city staff from collaborating with federal immigration authorities for the purposes of arresting undocumented immigrants.
The motion had been introduced by councilors Hugo Soto Martínez, Nithya Raman and Eunisses Hernández in 2023, but given the victory of President Donald Trump, they had to work in an emergency to approve it.
Los Angeles Council President Marqueece Harris Dawson said that after lengthy discussions with the motion’s creators, they were able to amend the ordinance to close a loophole that left the city vulnerable in the event that a Police Department officer Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) has contact with a person with a prior conviction for a violent crime who was deported, and is back in the United States.
“In that case, the officer should take some time to look at that person before contacting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). That is the current policy of the city of Los Angeles and, according to LAPD records, that “It has been invoked twice since 2018, so it is not something that is a regular practice, and it should remain that way.”
Although the city of Los Angeles is home to 1.3 million immigrants, more than 34% of the population, under municipal law it was not a Sanctuary City.
Los Angeles was designated a Sanctuary City by former Mayor Eric Garcetti through an executive order, but it was a purely symbolic measure.
Although Los Angeles did not have a municipal law declaring it a Sanctuary City, California is, by law, a Sanctuary State, under a legislative proposal presented by now Councilman Kevin de León.
Councilwoman Imelda Padilla said she hoped the ordinance making Los Angeles a sanctuary city would start a conversation toward true immigration reform with the Immigration Reform and Control Act under President Ronald Reagan in 1986.
“In Los Angeles what we want is to protect and make sure that our communities are not separated, and we are not going to allow what happened in the 1970s when they did mass deportations and broke up families.”
During the public participation, Xóchitl Sánchez, organizer of the California Immigrant Policy Center, said a strong sanctuary policy is critical to keeping Los Angeles families together.
“Threats of violence, family separation, mass deportations and internment camps loom over Los Angeles, even more so now with the appointment of Sheriff McDonald as head of the LAPD who has a history of coexistence with ICE.”
He indicated that we must activate our communities and local government to protect and defend the advances of civil rights and the immigrant rights movement in America
Jesús Ramón Villalba said he came to this country in 2005, fleeing violence in his country caused by the United States.
“I don’t have papers and I’m not afraid either. My parents built their buildings, fed their people and worked hard hours in this city. I studied here, I live here and I love this place. We have built what you have the responsibility to protect. “I am here to remind you of the enormous debt you owe to all of us in this room and to our families and communities outside these walls, and you can pay it by approving Sanctuary City.”
Jesus, a visiting law student at UCLA School of Law and a DACA recipient, said he grew up in the shadows, fearing separation from loved ones and a life marked by constant uncertainty.
“I persevered because I believed in the promise of a better life, even though that promise always seems out of reach. Then came DACA. “It gave me an opportunity to live without the constant fear of deportation, to work and build a future for myself.”
But he noted that too many of his friends, family and neighbors continue to live in that same uncertainty, the fear that it could be their last day in this country, and continue to live under the shadow of deportation, unable to fully take advantage of the opportunities that this country has to offer.
“Making the city a sanctuary for immigrants will send a message to all immigrants in the city that we are not alone, that we are valued, that we are worthy of the same protections and opportunities as any other member of the community.”
To do
If you are an undocumented immigrant, and you fear possible deportation, the Coalition for Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA) advises you to call its immigrant assistance line q888-624-4752, which provides you with general resources for immigration services in your country. area. It is advisable to leave your message with your number and name and your call will be returned within two days.
“If you know you have a criminal record, previous deportations, or any questions, consult with a trusted immigration attorney or seek assistance with a community organization like CARECEN or CHIRLA before you need help. By the time he has been arrested, it could be too late.”
In October 2017, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 54 making California a Sanctuary state that prohibits state and local agencies from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
