Could Los Angeles become a sanctuary city for immigrants?
In city where immigrants are one-third of population, some say stronger protections are overdue
By LINH TAT | ltat@scng.com |
PUBLISHED: March 7, 2023 at 5:51 p.m. | UPDATED: March 7, 2023 at 5:53 p.m.
Hoping to make the City of Angels a true “sanctuary city” for immigrants, three members of the Los Angeles City Council have proposed legislation to turn into permanent law an existing policy that prohibits city staff from taking part in, or using city resources to aid, any federal immigration enforcement activity.
Former Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an executive directive in 2017 limiting the city’s involvement with federal immigration agents. Later, the City Council passed a resolution declaring L.A. a “City of Sanctuary.” Rules for how L.A. deals with immigration authorities are also outlined in policies set by the Los Angeles Police Department.
But unless these policies are codified into law, they’re subject to the whims of future city officials and could be scrapped.
So on Tuesday, March 7, Councilmembers Nithya Raman, Eunisses Hernandez and Hugo Soto-Martinez introduced a motion that would direct the city attorney to draft an ordinance prohibiting any city resources, property or personnel from being used for immigration enforcement or to cooperate with federal immigration authorities in that context — to the extent allowed by law.
Raman immigrated to the United States at age 6, and Hernandez and Soto-Martinez are both children of immigrant parents.
https://www.dailybreeze.com/2023/03/07/could-los-angeles-become-a-sanctuary-city-for-immigrants/
