Sanctuary cities have been a hot topic for the past few months as local officials react to Trump’s immigration policies.
The Los Angeles City Council green-lit a series of motions last week, including the expansion of know your rights campaigns for undocumented immigrants. Businesses will be required to report Immigration and Customs Enforcement activity to the city. The council also called for increased state and federal funding for deportation defense providers. They will also look for existing unused funds to help non-profits provide legal services to immigrants. Although five councilmembers were absent during the vote, the remaining members approved these motions unanimously.
In 2024, Mayor Karen Bass and the city council officially declared Los Angeles a “sanctuary city,” meaning the city’s departments will not cooperate with federal immigration officials. President Trump’s administration has been cracking down on sanctuary cities nationwide, including L.A. They’ve threatened to take away funding if the cities don’t comply with immigration officials. But the L.A. City Council continues to push back on Trump’s demands. How successful they can be remains to be seen.