Los Angeles County Declares Emergency Over Federal Immigration Raids as ICE Calls Move a ‘Middle Finger to the Law’
‘For months, families have lived under threat and workers have been taken from job sites,’ the county supervisor says.
Because of ongoing federal immigration raids, officials in Los Angeles County are declaring a state of emergency to give financial relief to residents facing economic hardship.
The declaration empowers the Board of Supervisors to offer rental assistance to tenants who have accumulated unpaid rent due to Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s operations. The emergency status also enables the county to access state funding for legal services and additional support programs.
“What’s happening in our communities is an emergency — and Los Angeles County is treating it like one,” the county supervisor, Lindsey Horvath, said in a statement announcing the declaration. “For months, families have lived under threat and workers have been taken from job sites. This proclamation is about action and speed.”
The declaration was approved in a 4-1 vote of county supervisors on Tuesday, according to FOX11 Los Angeles.
According to the board’s proclamation, the immigrant enforcement operations that started around June 6 have led residents to avoid leaving their homes out of fear, preventing them from commuting to work, using public transit, obtaining county services such as health care, accessing public programs and resources, and meeting with immigration attorneys and legal aid providers.
The ICE raids “have created a climate of fear, leading to widespread disruption in daily life and adverse impacts to our regional economy due to decreased attendance at workplaces, the temporary or permanent closure of businesses and restaurants and increased strain on our local institutions such as schools, hospitals and places of worship,” according to the proclamation, which also cites a recent survey that found a 62 percent drop in weekly earning for immigrants.
ICE officials have refuted the claims by county officials.
“The only state of emergency is the one the residents of Los Angeles face after electing officials who give a middle finger to the law,” spokeswoman Emily Convington said in a statement to Fox News. “Perhaps the board should ‘supervise’ funds to support law-abiding fire victims who still haven’t recovered, instead of criminal illegal aliens seeking refuge in their sanctuary city.”
“While they publicly fear-monger, I would be shocked if they didn’t agree with ICE removing a child rapist from their neighborhood.”
