LA city officials introduce legislation protecting immigrants
LOS ANGELES - Officials in Los Angeles on Tuesday introduced legislation protecting immigrant Angelenos amid fears and unrest in response to President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown.
Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez introduced five proposals intended to strengthen labor and immigration protections, which he said would address renewed threats of mass deportations, work-site raids and targeted enforcement actions.
During a news conference outside City Hall, the councilman was joined by council colleagues Eunisses Hernandez, Imelda Padilla and Ysabel Jurado, and several immigrant rights, labor, legal and community organizations.
"We are here today because unfortunately, we have a president who wants to scapegoat and attack our immigrant neighbors. And we are not going to take that lightly," said Soto-Martínez.
"That's why at today's council meeting, we will be introducing a package of legislation to protect immigrant Angelenos and sustain our local economy and our union. The legislation will make sure that we're prepared and that we're ready to fight back, which involves a comprehensive "know your rights" campaign across the entire city so immigrants and employers understand their rights and don't fall victim to ICE intimidation," he added.
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The items are expected to be heard by the Civil Rights & Immigration Committee before coming to the full City Council for a vote.
If approved, the items would reaffirm the city's commitment to protecting its migrant community from possible deportation. In November, the City Council and Mayor Karen Bass formally established Los Angeles as a so- called "sanctuary city."
"Los Angeles will not be complicit. We will use every single tool to protect our residents," he said.
The legislation comes after two straight days of protests across downtown Los Angeles opposing Trump's immigration policies.
ICE agents began targeting major sanctuary cities immediately after Trump's inauguration, including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Atlanta. The following day, Trump lifted longtime guidelines that restricted ICE from operating at "sensitive locations" such as schools, churches or hospitals.
Last weekend, the DEA in LA said it's cooperating with federal law enforcement partners on immigration enforcement. Also, ICE officers from ERO Los Angeles posted several photos on social media showing the arrests made. ICE raids were also reported in Riverside, Pomona, and San Diego.
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The decision has worried many migrants and advocates who fear children will be traumatized by seeing their parents arrested in the drop-off line at school or that migrants needing medical care won’t go to the hospital for fear of arrest.
"Whether you're aware of it or not, Every single person here today knows someone who will be affected by Trump's dehumanizing agenda. And that is why we need to fight back. No worker should have to choose between staying silent about abuse or risking deportation. No employer should be forced to comply with illegal raids because they don't know their rights. And no family should have to live in fear that a trip to work or school could tear them apart," Soto-Martínez said.
The Source: Information for this story is from FOX 11 reports and the City of Los Angeles.