LA Mayor pushes for the city to become a sanctuary city before Trump takes office

More than a year after a motion was introduced to make the City of Los Angeles a sanctuary city, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is stepping in to make sure it is approved before the end of the year.

A sanctuary city is a community with a policy, written or unwritten, that discourages local law enforcement from reporting undocumented immigrants to immigration unless it involves an investigation of a serious crime, states the non-profit Global Refuge. 

Earlier this week Bass said she was under the impression that the City of Los Angeles was already a sanctuary city. However, the motion presented by Councilmembers Eunises Hernandez, Hugo Soto-Martinez, and Nithya Raman hasn’t moved forward due to the lack of proper language. 

The councilmembers introduced the motion in June 2023, and while it received strong support from Los Angeles City Council, the proper language for that ordinance is non-existent, said Martha Arevalo, director of CARECEN.

She said regardless of California being a progressive state and a city of immigrants, there is still a lot of red tape, bureaucracy, and lack of support for these things.

“We are still fighting to get that language so that we can push it through its final phase where it becomes an ordinance in the City of Los Angeles,” said Arevalo. “We need make sure the City of Los Angeles does its job to protect the families.”

Bass pushes for the ordinance

This week, Bass worked with City Attorney Hydee Feldstein-Soto to ensure the ordinance was considered by the City Council before any potential policy changes under a new federal administration. 

If passed, the ordinance will prohibit any City resources, property, or personnel from being utilized for any federal immigration enforcement. It will also codify permanent protections for Los Angeles immigrants and close critical gaps in existing policy. 

The mayor said now more than ever, it is vital to have the City of Los Angeles become a sanctuary city because of the threats being made by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump. In less than two months, he will take office, and he promised to deport millions of undocumented immigrants.

While the City of Los Angeles has prohibited using its resources to assist federal immigration authorities in past years, a sanctuary ordinance would formally codify such policies.

"Especially in the face of growing threats to the immigrant communities here in Los Angeles, I stand with the people of this city," Bass said in a statement. "This moment demands urgency."

For Gaby Segovia, an undocumented immigrant living in Wilmington for over 20 years, Bass’ announcement is courageous. She said it is an excellent idea that the mayor brings up this topic that affects a large community in the city. 

“I must say it was a surprise for me to learn that the City of LA is not a sanctuary city. I thought it was already one,” said Segovia.

She said this good news come at a perfect moment because after the victory of Trump many immigrant parents and their children are experiencing fear and anxiety about the threats of deportation.

“When we hear that this city will be a sanctuary city, it gives us a bit of peace,” said Segovia hoping the city goes through with such promise of protecting the undocumented community.  

The process

The urgency of passing the ordinance before Trump gets to the presidency is because the process takes some time. Once the City Attorney transmits the draft ordinance to the City Council, it will go to the Civil Rights & Immigration Committee. However, the next regular meeting for this committee is Friday, December 6, one week before the Council begins its winter recess. Since ordinances generally require two separate Council votes held one week apart, followed by a 30-day circulation period before they take effect, the Council must act swiftly to ensure the law is in place before a potential change in federal administration.

Councilman Soto-Martinez, the chair of the Civil Rights and Immigration Committee, said he will be waiving consideration of the Sanctuary City Ordinance in his committee so it can be voted on by the full City Council as soon as possible. 

“As the son of immigrants in a city built by immigrants, I refuse to stand back while Donald Trump tries to deport our neighbors, family, friends, and coworkers," he said in a statement.

Councilwoman Hernandez said that these protections are long overdue, and now, more than ever, symbolic gestures are not enough.

“Undocumented residents deserve safety and security, and it is long past time for Los Angeles to codify these protections,” she said. "I am who I am today because of immigrants – people like my parents, extended family, and the community who raised me – and the same is true for Los Angeles. Our city wouldn’t be the city we know and love without the sacrifices and contributions of the more than 1.3 million immigrants who live here.”