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L.A. City Council Votes To Defend Immigrants On Day One Of Trump Administration
(Photo courtesy of Hilda Solis)
The City of Los Angeles is wasting no time buffering immigrants against President Trump and his administration. On Friday, city council passed a measure introduced by Council President Herb Wesson that was designed to protect immigrants in the city by better understanding the $500 million in federal money Los Angeles gets for being a "Sanctuary city"—a non-official term referring to the city's decision not to participate in federal immigration enforcement policies. The measure also clears the way for a designated undocumented immigrants advocate for the Mayor's Office of Immigration Affairs.
"It is imperative that as residents and leaders of the greatest city on the planet, we need to educate and prepare ourselves to defend our values, to defend our quality of life, to defend keeping students and families together, and to defend our neighborhoods from any attempts to change what makes our City so great ... the people,'' the measure states, reports City Wire Service. The measure also calls for an inventory of all federal funds, loans, and grants.
Wesson's office says that today's motion is a "response to the incoming administration’s pledge to take drastic action on immigration," adding that "Friday’s actions will signal to Los Angeles families that their safety is a top priority for the City Council," according to L.A. Weekly.
Vanessa Rodriguez, press deputy for Mr. Wesson, added that the city council vote gives the city authority to assign an immigration advocate to work underneath the Office of Immigration Affairs, and advise the council on undocumented immigration matters.
"If there is one thing that is consistent about this new administration, it is that they are inconsistent," Wesson said, according to City News Service. "We really don't know what's going to happen."'
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