Los Angeles County declared a state of emergency in response to the immigration raids deployed by the Donald Trump administrationin an unprecedented measure that seeks to curb the economic and social impact of the operations of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Service (ICE).
Los Angeles declares state of emergency in response to ICE raids
The decision, approved by the county Board of Supervisors — the local government body charged with administering public policies, budgets and emergencies— with a 4 to 1 vote, will allow resources to be channeled to support affected communities, especially tenants and workers who have lost income due to mass arrests.
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The announcement marks a break with the way in which these types of declarations, usually reserved for natural disasters, are usually applied. In this case, local authorities argued that the crisis generated by the raids constitutes an “emergency caused by the federal government itself.”
As supervisor Lindsey Horvath told the Los Angeles Times, one of the promoters of the decree, “the families they live under constant threat and workers are torn from their jobs; we must use the full weight of local government to protect them.”
ICE operations in Southern California have resulted in thousands of arrests since August, primarily of people of Latino origin.
Complaints from numerous civil groups
Civil rights groups have denounced that agents act with masks and discriminatory criteria based on physical features or language, protected by a recent Supreme Court ruling that validated the practice of detaining individuals based on “racial or work profile.”
The protests they have not been waiting: streets in neighborhoods like Westlake or Boyle Heights have become points of resistance and confrontation with federal forces.
The state of emergency opens the door to a moratorium on evictions for families who prove they have lost income due to the raids. However, risks remain: immigrants who resort to this protection could be forced to reveal their immigration status in court. Additionally, the measure faces the possibility of lawsuits from the federal government.
A study by the University of California, Merced estimated that the mass deportation of undocumented residents — who represent about 8% of the state’s workforce — would generate a loss of $275 billion in the California economy. To mitigate the damage, the local government has promoted various initiatives.
Mayor Karen Bass announced the distribution of cash assistance cards funded by philanthropic organizations, while Governor Gavin Newsom signed laws restricting the use of masks by federal agents and strengthening protections for immigrants in schools and hospitals.
Although the proclamation will remain in force until further notice, its effects are both practical and symbolic: it seeks to send a political message of resistance to Washington’s immigration policy.