LA City Council to consider adopting “sanctuary city” ordinance
By Tom Wait
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LOS ANGELES (KCAL/KCBS) — City Council members on Tuesday will consider adopting an ordinance that will make Los Angeles a “sanctuary city,” which will prohibit any city resources from being used to help the federal enforcement of immigration laws.
The ordinance was introduced last week by Council Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto and Mayor Karen Bass, making it public for the first time since city officials called for it more than a year ago.
Council members Hugo Soto-Martinez and Monica Rodriguez, who chair the city council’s Civil Rights and Public Safety committees, waived the matter of jurisdiction, which expedites a vote on the issue by the full council.
They say that an executive action from former Mayor Eric Garcetti would not be enough and that Los Angeles would need an actual law to make the city a sanctuary in 2019.
“Basically, the ordinance would prevent federal immigration enforcement from being able to access city facilities or to use city resources in the pursuit of immigration enforcement,” said Council membert Nithya Raman while speaking with CBS News Los Angeles. “Our existing ordinance goes one step further than even the executive directive in that it prohibits certain kinds of data sharing that have also proven to be damaging and, you know, has led to cases of real lack of safety for residents in the past.”
If approved, leaders believe that it could set up a battle with the incoming administration selected by president-elect Donald Trump, who promised to deport illegal immigrants throughout his campaign.
“On day one I will launch the largest deportation program in American history,” he said at one point during his campaign. “We are going to get the criminals out.”
Council member Eunisses Hernandez says that the fear being felt by millions of Angelenos isn’t unfounded.
“Of course people are scared, because we saw that last time it wasn’t just rhetoric,” she said. “So, I think folks just want to make sure that they know what to do in case of any emergency.”
Even with a promise from newly appointed Chief of Police Jim McDonnell, who said that he would not engage in immigration enforcement, legal experts say that no protections can actually stop federal agents.
“People, whether they themselves are immigrants, or whether they’re related to an immigrant, should have no illusions that whatever ordinances a city or county passes will prevent the federal government from coming in and trying to apply federal law in the city and county of Los Angeles,” said Eric Lee, an immigration attorney.
Council members that spoke with KCAL News say that they do expect the ordinance to pass on Tuesday.
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