The Los Angeles City Council unanimously passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance Tuesday to protect immigrants after President-elect Donald Trump vowed to begin mass deportations.
This ordinance is 13-0 vote Tuesday after being drafted more than a year ago. The ordinance would codify protections for immigrants in municipal laws.
At the city council meeting, citizens expressed their concerns about the incoming Trump administration and their desire to protect immigrants in the city.
“What do we want?” pro-immigrant demonstrators shouted in Spanish on the steps of Los Angeles City Hall before the vote. Sanctuary. When do you want it? now,” Reuters reported.
“Sanctuary cities” generally refer to local areas that “do not fully cooperate with federal detention requests related to illegal immigration.” According to Britannica.
President Trump on Monday declared a national emergency on immigration and signaled his intention to use military assets to support mass deportations.
President Trump said in September that if he wins the election, he will ask Congress to pass legislation banning sanctuary cities.
“As soon as I take office, I will rush federal law enforcement to every city that has failed to extradite criminal aliens (and there are many), and will take every single gang member, drug dealer, and criminal into custody.” We're going to hunt down and arrest these rapists, murderers, and illegally imprisoned criminal immigrants,” he said at a North Carolina campaign rally.
“I urge Congress to pass legislation that would outlaw sanctuary cities across America,” President Trump said.
