Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced a new executive directive on Friday in an effort to help the city’s immigrant communities as raids continue across LA.
Since early June, dozens of immigration raids have been taking place across Southern California as part of a mass deportation plan promised by the Trump administration.
More than 55,000 migrants nationwide have been taken into ICE custody over the past six months, according to data compiled by NBC News. About 28 percent have criminal convictions with about 25 percent having pending criminal charges. About 47 percent were listed as “other immigration violater.”
Bass says these raids are instilling fear into the communities and it needs to stop.
According to a press release from Mayor Bass’ office, the new directive bolsters city protocols that prohibit use of city resources for immigration enforcement, expands access to resources for impacted families, establishes a new lapd working group and seeks records from federal agencies about unlawful raids.
City departments now have two weeks to create and implement a preparedness plan with protocols and training for city employees so that they know what to do and what their rights are should immigration agents show up to a city property or facility.
A new working group with LAPD, the mayor’s office, and immigrant rights groups will also be created to give police officers guidance on responding to immigration enforcement calls.
According to the press release, the mayor is also directing her office to transmit a federal Freedom of Information Act request to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in order to obtain information on the raids that have happened over the past month including the reasons why people were detained, where they’re being held, and why federal agents are wearing masks.
“We are a proud city of immigrants, and with the Trump Administration signaling that they will ratchet up their chaotic approach, I’m making sure we deploy every resource and tool available within the city to ensure that we are supporting immigrant communities,” Mayor Bass said. “We will continue pursuing legal relief through the courts, and I am issuing orders to all General Managers to bolster their response and support for immigrant communities. I will never accept these unlawful and chaotic raids and will continue to do all that I can to defend the rights of the people of Los Angeles.”
She adds that this comes after what happened at MacArthur Park on Monday when federal agents marched through the park where children were attending a summer camp.
Los Angeles as well as other cities argue that the Trump Administration is violating constitutional protections against unreasonable searches and seizures and they allege that federal agents are racially profiling people and using too much force against protestors.
On the other side, federal law enforcement authorities say their officers and agents are under attack for simply enforcing federal law but mayor Bass argues that enforcement itself is the problem.
“You have a situation now where people are walking down the street, a car will pull up, no license plate, men will jump out, completely mask, pull guns on whoever it is and take them away, aside from the fact that this is unconstitutional,” Bass said. “How do we know the difference between this and the kidnapping?”