The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a “sanctuary city” ordinance prohibiting any city resources or employees from being used to assist the federal government with immigration enforcement. The new law is a direct response to the election of Donald Trump, who has promised to carry out mass deportations of immigrants residing in the country unlawfully.
Readers may recall that former Mayor Eric Garcetti issued an executive directive declaring Los Angeles a sanctuary city after Trump’s first election in 2017. The new legislation codifies that directive. It also “prohibits the direct and indirect sharing of data with federal immigration authorities,” according to Councilmember Nithya Raman.
The new ordinance will have little practical effect. As the Los Angeles Times notes, “the law would not stop the federal government from carrying out mass deportations in Los Angeles,” but is “intended to signal that City Hall is standing with its large immigrant population…”
For its part, the Los Angeles Police Department already bars officers from initiating contact with people solely on the basis of their immigration status. That policy has been in place for 45 years. Furthermore, Los Angeles’ new police chief, Jim McDonnell, has said his department will not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement on Trump’s deportation plans.
The mass deportation of undocumented immigrants was a central theme of Trump’s 2024 campaign. Despite concerns that it could ensnare legal immigrants and fracture mixed-status families, a record number of Latino voters — and a majority of Latino men — went for Trump this year.
Los Angeles officials believe sanctuary policies are necessary to ensure public safety. They argue that people will be afraid to call or cooperate with police on criminal matters if they fear deportation.
Politically, they’re banking on deportation operations being unpopular with the public. While a significant portion of the country supports Trump’s deportation plan, opinions could shift once the program is put into practice. On the other hand, if the Trump administration targets immigrants with criminal histories, it could find popular support even in a blue city like L.A., where crime and public safety have become a top concern for residents.