The action follows President-elect Donald Trump’s confirmation of plans to initiate mass deportations.
The Los Angeles City Council on Dec. 4 formally approved a “sanctuary city” ordinance, which will prohibit resources or personnel from assisting with federal enforcement of immigration laws.
The council voted 12–0 in favor of the ordinance with an urgency clause, meaning it could go into effect within 10 days of being signed by Mayor Karen Bass.
The council’s actions come after President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he’s prepared to declare a national emergency to initiate mass deportations.
On Nov. 19, the council voted unanimously to move forward with the proposed ordinance. Because amendments were made to the language, however, it was brought up for a second vote.
In particular, the council adopted changes to the ordinance to align it with California’s “sanctuary state” law, Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act of 2017.
The council also created an exception whereby the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is permitted to assist federal immigration officers for cases involving serious offenses.
For example, LAPD can communicate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in cases where an illegal immigrant has been convicted of a violent felony, deported, but then came back to the United States. This procedure is already in line with LAPD practices, and has been used twice since 2018, according to city officials.
Elected officials celebrated the new ordinance as codifying protections for immigrants residing in the country illegally and prohibiting the sharing of data—direct or indirect—with federal immigration authorities.
The mayor has said she supports the measure.
“This moment demands urgency,” Bass said in a statement last month. “Immigrant protections make our communities stronger and our city better.”
The ordinance enshrines some policies put into place by former Mayor Eric Garcetti during the first Trump presidency.
“We have been a pro-immigrant city for a number of years, we know that there is a target on our back from this president-elect, and what we are doing here is we are hardening our defenses,” Councilman Bob Blumenfield said on Nov. 19 during a discussion of the ordinance.
