(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance prohibiting local resources from being used to assist federal deportation efforts targeting illegal aliens.
The 13-0 vote responds to President-elect Donald Trump’s vow to launch the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history following the outgoing President Joe Biden’s open border policies.
Mayor Karen Bass, a former member of Congress, and City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto championed the ordinance’s passage. The ordinance will take effect 10 days after being signed by the mayor.
“Especially in the face of growing threats to the immigrant communities here in Los Angeles, I stand with the people of this city,” Bass said on Nov. 12. “This moment demands urgency. Immigrant protections make our communities stronger and our city better. … Los Angeles stands together.”
Soto echoed Bass’s sentiments in her own statement: “By passing this law today, we’re making sure that no city resources or staff will be used to deport our friends, family, neighbors and co-workers.”
The ordinance codifies an executive directive and resolution by former Mayor Eric Garcetti, who is now serving as Biden’s U.S. ambassador to India.
According to The New York Times, the measure also bars city employees from questioning individuals about their immigration status or citizenship. The Los Angeles Police Department has followed similar policies since 1979.
The move comes despite Bass’s months-long concerns about rampant immigration draining city resources.
In November 2023, Bass joined the mayors of Chicago, Denver, Houston and New York in demanding federal intervention to address the surge of illegal aliens.
The demands for a meeting came a month after Los Angeles struggled to house newly arrived illegal aliens.
Nearly a year later, the Biden-Harris administration showered Los Angeles with $21.8 million for housing and other taxpayer-funded services for illegal aliens.
