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Today: February 19, 2025

L.A. agencies attempt to adapt to immigration crackdown

immigrationTOPSHOT - Former US President and Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump speaks about immigration and border security near Coronado National Memorial in Montezuma Pass, Arizona, August 22, 2024. (Photo by Olivier TOURON / AFP) (Photo by OLIVIER TOURON/AFP via Getty Images)
January 24, 2025
Zakir Jamal - LA Post

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump promised to deport millions of people who, he said, were in the country illegally. In response, Los Angeles passed a “sanctuary city” ordinance, prohibiting police from cooperating with federal deportation efforts. But some advocates say that this will not be enough to protect the city’s vulnerable communities.

About a third of the population of L.A. county was born outside of the United States, according to a report from the University of Southern California’s Equity Research Institute. The same investigation estimated that 800,000 of the County’s residents are undocumented. These are often core members of local communities. They pay taxes, and start businesses at rates much higher than the general population.

California’s longstanding, relatively-lenient policies on immigration enforcement are being put to the test by the Trump administration’s new policies. 

Shortly after taking office, the administration announced the establishment of the Sanctuary Cities Enforcement Working Group, which is tasked with evading local policies designed to protect undocumented immigrants. The Department of Justice Wednesday announced its intent to prosecute local officials who do not cooperate with deportation efforts. 

The moves have left local leaders unsure of their mandates and obligations. Newly-elected District Attorney Nathan Hochman said shortly after being voted into office that his job was “to obey the law” on immigration. However, it is not immediately clear what the relevant law is. The City of L.A. and the State of California both have “sanctuary” rules, which prohibit cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration agencies on matters of deportation.

However, both the city and the state laws contain exceptions for those convicted of serious crimes. The L.A. ordinance contains an exception for those who have been previously deported due to convictions for aggravated felonies. The state-level law, meanwhile, allows law enforcement to share resources with federal immigration enforcement when an immigrant has been convicted of a violent crime.

“The office is in the process of determining what these new directives are from the federal government and how we will be complying with all applicable laws,” a spokesperson for D.A. Hochman told the Los Angeles Post.
A spokesperson for the L.A. Police Department likewise refused to state the specific policy which the department will be adopting under the new administration. However, he indicated that Special Order 40 remains in place, which prevents the L.A. Police Department from attempting to discover the immigration status of anyone or from making arrests for illegal entry to the U.S.

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