Los Angeles, the second-largest city in the U.S., is preparing for a showdown with President-elect Donald Trump over immigration policies.
On Tuesday, the city council passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance aimed at restricting local resources from being used to assist federal immigration authorities. In a related move, the city’s public school system reaffirmed its stance as a sanctuary for undocumented immigrants and LGBTQ students through emergency resolutions.
Trump, set to take office in two months, has promised widespread deportations. His designated “border czar,” Tim Homan, has warned sanctuary cities to “get the hell out of the way” of federal immigration crackdowns.
The term “sanctuary city” has been used in the U.S. for over a decade to describe localities that limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. While not a legal designation, cities implement various policies to adopt this status, ranging from formal laws to changes in local policing.
The Los Angeles city council’s new ordinance mirrors a 2019 executive order, making it law. It prohibits the use of city resources for immigration enforcement, including cooperation with federal agents, according to NBC News Los Angeles. Council member Nithya Raman explained that the measure will prevent federal authorities from using city facilities or resources for immigration enforcement. It will also limit data sharing between immigration agencies and city officials.
The ordinance will take effect once it is signed by Mayor Karen Bass. Other cities, including Boston and New York, have made similar promises to withhold local resources from federal immigration efforts.
In the wake of Trump’s election, numerous school districts across the country, including Los Angeles, have declared themselves “sanctuaries” to assure students they won’t face deportation. The Los Angeles Unified School District, located about 140 miles from the U.S.-Mexico border, voted on emergency resolutions to protect students from anti-immigrant and anti-LGBTQ policies, as described by Board President Jackie Goldberg. The resolutions also include training for staff on how to handle interactions with immigration authorities.
“We’re not going to be running in fear,” Goldberg said before the vote. “We’re going to fight you, every inch of the way.”
This decision is expected to put Los Angeles on a collision course with the incoming Trump administration, which plans a large-scale deportation effort. Trump’s appointed “border czar,” Tom Homan, has repeatedly stated that sanctuary city policies won’t stop the administration from pursuing its immigration enforcement goals.
In a November 11 interview with Fox News, Homan said, “Nothing will stop us from deporting migrant criminals. We’re going to do the job with you, or without you.”
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