The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is considering declaring a state of emergency amid the Trump administration’s strict immigration enforcement actions in Southern California. The emergency declaration would help people affected by immigration enforcement actions.
If the board declares an emergency, the county could spend more funding and act faster to help immigrant families targeted by federal immigration raids, especially those struggling to pay rent or facing eviction. Declaring this emergency could also help the county access private funding and speed up the process of giving financial aid to immigrant families who are behind on rent and at risk of eviction, the Los Angeles Daily News reported.
The board approved starting the emergency process, which could later lead to an eviction ban.
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Supervisors react to ICE actions
“Unprecedented ICE raids at workplaces — targeting hardworking immigrants, not criminals — are tearing apart communities, leaving families without breadwinners and sowing fear and chaos in immigrant neighborhoods,” Supervisor Janice Hahn said in a statement. “As we grapple with how to respond to ICE’s cruelty and disregard for the law, I think it is important we have every tool at our disposal, including emergency powers.”
The Los Angeles Daily News spoke to attorneys who say they are unsure if the emergency declaration is legal because it’s based on immigration issues, not the usual reasons like disasters or public health emergencies.
Vote breakdown and legal concerns
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted 4-1 to tell the County Counsel’s Office to write up a formal state of emergency declaration. Board Chair Kathryn Barger was the only one to vote “no.”
Barger said she’s sure the Trump administration will legally challenge the board if it puts an eviction moratorium in place. During the Tuesday meeting, she said her frustration is that “the landlords are going to be held financially responsible when it’s no fault of theirs. And they still have bills to pay.”
“They’ve still got to provide for their families,” she added.
At the board meeting, some community members spoke about their fears due to recent immigration enforcement actions. Some said they were afraid to leave their homes because they might encounter ICE agents.
The proposed emergency declaration will be voted on at the Oct. 14 board meeting.
