The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously in favor of a municipal law declaring Los Angeles a “sanctuary city.” It prohibits devoting personnel and resources to deporting immigrants living here.
The decision was made a few weeks after the election of US President Donald Trump. The fight against illegal immigration is one of the main points of his election campaign. He promised to begin mass deportations of illegal immigrants.
The law was drafted by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and City Attorney Heidi Feldstein-Soto, with input from civil rights organizations. During the debate, lawmakers spoke about the need to protect migrants from the “unimaginable cruelty” of federal authorities.