Los Angeles Council Approves ‘Sanctuary City’ Ordinance to Protect Illegal Immigrants

People in the audience hold up signs as the Los Angeles City Council considers a "sanctuary city" ordinance during a meeting at City Hall in Los Angeles on Nov. 19, 2024. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images

The Los Angeles City Council on Dec. 4 formally approved a “sanctuary city” ordinance, which will prohibit resources or personnel from assisting with federal enforcement of immigration laws.

The council voted 12–0 in favor of the ordinance with an urgency clause, meaning it could go into effect within 10 days of being signed by Mayor Karen Bass.

The council’s actions come after President-elect Donald Trump has indicated that he’s prepared to declare a national emergency to initiate mass deportations.

On Nov. 19, the council voted unanimously to move forward with the proposed ordinance. Because amendments were made to the language, however, it was brought up for a second vote.

In particular, the council adopted changes to the ordinance to align it with California’s “sanctuary state” law, Senate Bill 54, the California Values Act of 2017.

The council also created an exception whereby the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) is permitted to assist federal immigration officers for cases involving serious offenses.

For example, LAPD can communicate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in cases where an illegal immigrant has been convicted of a violent felony, deported, but then came back to the United States. This procedure is already in line with LAPD practices, and has been used twice since 2018, according to city officials.

Elected officials celebrated the new ordinance as codifying protections for immigrants residing in the country illegally and prohibiting the sharing of data—direct or indirect—with federal immigration authorities.

The mayor has said she supports the measure.

“This moment demands urgency,” Bass said in a statement last month. “Immigrant protections make our communities stronger and our city better.”

The ordinance enshrines some policies put into place by former Mayor Eric Garcetti during the first Trump presidency.

“We have been a pro-immigrant city for a number of years, we know that there is a target on our back from this president-elect, and what we are doing here is we are hardening our defenses,” Councilman Bob Blumenfield said on Nov. 19 during a discussion of the ordinance.

“We are codifying our good policies on protecting immigrants.”

A man speaks in support of a proposed "sanctuary city" ordinance during a meeting at City Hall in Los Angeles on Nov. 19, 2024. Etienne Laurent/AFP via Getty Images

The city first voted to approve the ordinance just two weeks after Trump won the 2024 presidential election on the back of a campaign in which he highlighted border security and deporting those without legal status in the United States as key parts of his platform.

“We’re going to send a very clear message that the city of Los Angeles will not cooperate with ICE in any way,” Councilman Hugo Soto-Martinez said, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “We want people to feel protected and be able to have faith in their government and that women can report domestic violence, crimes.”

The Los Angeles County Republican Party criticized the sanctuary city ordinance, saying, “A country without secure borders isn’t a country at all.”

“Whether drunk driving, robbery, sexual violence, assault or murder, none of those should go unpunished. Perpetrators should definitely not be protected by the largesse taken from hard-working taxpayers.” the party wrote in a statement posted on social media.

Los Angeles has historically followed specific policies protecting illegal immigrants. For instance, the LAPD adheres to Special Order 40, implemented in 1979, mandating that officers do not inquire about immigration status or make arrests over an immigrant’s legal status.

Moreover, the city’s new police chief, Jim McDonnell, has pledged to not help with deportations or determining people’s immigration status.

The Los Angeles Unified School District Board of Education in November adopted a resolution reaffirming its status as a “sanctuary district.” In addition, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors recently approved a motion to create a task force to track the impact of evolving federal immigration policies. The board will also consider creating a Department of Immigration Affairs.

Upon passing the new ordinance, Los Angeles will join more than a dozen cities across the United States with similar provisions.

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this report.