Los Angeles passes 'sanctuary city' ordinance to protect migrants

The Los Angeles city council on Tuesday unanimously passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance to protect immigrants living in the city, a policy that would prohibit the use of city resources and personnel to carry out federal immigration enforcement.

The move by the second most populated city in the US after New York City follows president-elect Donald Trump's vow to carry out mass deportations of immigrants.

The ordinance codifies the protection of migrants in municipal law. Council member Paul Krekorian said the measure addresses “the need to ensure our immigrant community in Los Angeles understands we understand their fear”.

Pro-immigrant protesters spoke on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall before the vote, holding up signs saying “Los Angeles Sanctuary City Now!” They chanted in Spanish “What do we want? Sanctuary. When do we want it? Now.”

The city is home to 1.3-million migrants, council members said, without specifying how many entered the country legally.

“We are concerned, given that this is a city where about a third of the population is immigrants,” Shiu-Ming Cheer said at the rally. She is deputy director of immigrant and racial justice at the California Immigration Policy Centre.

People were “afraid that the National Guard or other people are going to be forced to execute Trump's mass deportation plans”, she said. “But, you know, we're also organised.”

Eleven states have, to varying degrees, taken steps towards reducing co-operation with federal immigration enforcement, according to the NPO Immigrant Legal Resource Centre. Trump, winner of the November 5 election, takes office on January 20.

The Trump transition team did not respond to a request for comment.

Reuters