Los Angeles County has declared a state of emergency over U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests.
“We have entire families who are destitute because their fathers or mothers were taken from their workplaces, and they have no way to pay their rent or put food on the table,” Janice Hahn, an LA County supervisor, said during a board meeting Tuesday.
The five-member LA County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 Tuesday to declare the emergency.
Board of Supervisors Chair Kathryn Barger was the only “no” vote, having previously expressed concern that the declaration could lead to a legal battle.
“The federal government has sole authority to enforce federal immigration law, and local government cannot impede that authority,” Barger said last week, adding that “meaningful federal immigration reform” is needed.
The emergency declaration gives the country authority to provide assistance to those who have been affected by ICE raids.
“We need to call on our region to stand up and protect our community members,” supervisor Lindsey Horvath said.
ICE criticized the vote, telling Fox News that the “only state of emergency is the one the residents of Los Angeles face after electing officials who give a middle finger to the law.”
“Perhaps the board should ‘supervise’ funds to support law-abiding fire victims who still haven’t recovered, instead of criminal illegal aliens seeking refuge in their sanctuary city. While they publicly fearmonger, I would be shocked if they didn’t agree with ICE removing a child rapist from their neighborhood,” Emily Convington, an ICE spokesperson, said.
ICE has been carrying out targeted immigration enforcement operation in LA for months now as part of President Donald Trump’s crackdown on illegal immigration.
LA is a “sanctuary city,” meaning that local law enforcement do not corporate with federal immigration officials. Border czar Tom Homan has pledged to “flood the zone” in sanctuary cities with federal immigration officers, a promise Homan has kept in LA.
The home of Hollywood has also seen violent demonstration against ICE agents since targeted immigration operations began in June.
Over the summer, ICE made over 5,000 arrests of “criminal illegal aliens, gang members, child predators, and murderers,” according to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
“Make no mistake,” Noem said, “if you are here illegally, we will find you, arrest you, and send you back. This is just the beginning.”
